STUART: ‘SHUT UP YOU SLAG’, RIOT LOOTER TELLS JUDGE

A civil engineering student hurled abuse at a judge today (Thurs) as he was jailed for eight months for his involvement in the London riots.

Richard Stuart, 22, took home three pairs of stolen Nike trainers worth £220 – which were too small for him – on the second day of the unrest.

The size eight and nines were raided from Footlocker and JD Sports in St John’s Road, Clapham Junction, southwest London, and he is a ten.

Stuart, who lives in nearby Battersea, claimed he accepted the footwear after going to watch his local riots out of curiosity.

Judge Robert Fraser said the case was an ‘absolute tragedy’ as had seemed like Stuart, who has previous convictions as a teenager, had managed to sort out his life.

The student was due to start a five-year degree course at Kingston University later this month, Inner London Crown Court heard.

The judge said this was not enough to help him avoid prison: ‘It is quite obvious that you have put in an enormous amount of effort in terms of getting a place at university and putting your offending behind you.

‘Against that background this was unbelievably stupid behaviour.

‘You ended up going down there – you voluntarily chose to go down there to watch.

‘You saw the looters taking items and when they started distributing them, you then accepted the trainers.

‘You took the items directly from those who had burgled the store.

‘The nonsense of this is that the shoes were quite patently too small for you.’

Stuart, who was smartly dressed in a suit, defiantly folded his arms and frowned as he realised he was not going to walk free.

The judge continued: ‘You know very well your offences are very significantly aggravated by the circumstances of the fact that they were committed during a period of civil disturbance in London.

‘Obviously you must face responsibility for that.

‘Depressing though it is for you, I’m afraid I can’t accede to the recommendation in the pre-sentence report of a suspended sentence.

‘It is a very sad day for you and your family, but make sure you learn from this.’

As the judge said public protection was a priority in such a case and Stuart was led away, the 22-year-old repeatedly shouted: ‘Shut up you f**king slag.’

Stuart, of Trott Street, Battersea, sw London, admitted two counts of acquiring criminal property on August 8 this year.

He will serve half his sentence in custody less 23 days he has spent on remand.

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