Rioters Sentenced After Chaos at Cardiff Crown Court: Ely 2023

Key Points

• Courtroom Disruption: Angry scenes erupted at Cardiff Crown Court as members of the public gallery shouted abuse at the judge during the sentencing of five individuals involved in the Ely disorder.
• Fatal Catalyst: The widespread civil unrest on 22 May 2023 was triggered by the deaths of Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, who died in an electric bike crash.
• The Sentences: Five rioters—Ashdon O’Dare, Lee Robinson, Michaela Gonzales, Jordan Bratcher, and Tyler Stapleton—received custodial terms, with a condition to serve up to 40% in custody and the remainder under community supervision.
• Primary Instigators: Ashdon O’Dare and Lee Robinson both received sentences of six years and six months. O’Dare was identified as an “instigator” who actively inflamed the crowd, while Robinson was noted for aggressive hostility towards police officers.
• Scale of Violence: The unrest involved approximately 150 people and resulted in extensive property damage, burnt-out vehicles, and multiple injuries to emergency service personnel.

Cardiff (Cardiff Daily) June 17, 2026 – Widespread disruption broke out in the public gallery of the court on Wednesday as the first group of rioters involved in the Ely disorder received their custodial sentences. According to legal reporters present at the hearing, family members and supporters launched verbal abuse at the presiding judge immediately after the first terms were handed down. Security personnel had to intervene to restore order within the courtroom as five defendants were sentenced for their roles in the hours of violence that shook the Cardiff suburb three years ago.

The criminal proceedings followed the events of 22 May 2023, when a major riot was sparked in Ely after a fatal electric bike collision.

The crash claimed the lives of two local teenagers, Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15. In the hours following the tragedy, a crowd of approximately 150 individuals gathered, leading to prolonged clashes with law enforcement, the destruction of civilian vehicles, and significant damage to residential properties.

What Penalties Did the Principal Defendants Receive?

As detailed in the prosecution’s opening statement, the disorder escalated rapidly, transforming local streets into scenes of severe hostility.

Five individuals appeared in court to receive judgments regarding their participation in the unrest. Under the current sentencing guidelines applied to this case, the defendants were ordered to serve up to 40% of their terms in secure custody, with the remaining portion to be served on licence within the community.

How Was Ashdon O’Dare’s Role Characterised by the Prosecution?

As reported by court correspondents covering the trial, the prosecution outlined specific individual actions to illustrate how the gathering escalated into a full-scale riot. Ashdon O’Dare, 28, from Ely, was sentenced to six years and six months imprisonment.

The court heard that O’Dare acted as a primary “instigator” during the initial phases of the gathering. Investigators noted that he actively “whipped up” the emotion of the assembling crowd, transforming local grief into targeted aggression against the arriving police cordons.

What Actions Led to Lee Robinson’s Custodial Sentence?

Lee Robinson, 40, from Caerau, received an identical sentence of six years and six months. The prosecution presented body-worn camera footage showing Robinson behaving with sustained aggression on the night of the disorder.

According to the evidence presented, Robinson repeatedly hurled abuse and threats at police lines, resisting orders to disperse and encouraging others to maintain a hostile stance against emergency workers.

Who Else Was Convicted for Partaking in the Unrest?

The sentencing extended to three other co-defendants who were identified through extensive closed-circuit television (CCTV) analysis and police video recordings.

• Michaela Gonzales, 37, of Plymouth Wood Close, Ely, was sentenced following a prior guilty plea. Gonzales had initially been scheduled to stand trial but altered her plea to guilty before the prosecution opened its full case.
• Jordan Bratcher, 27, of Ely, also received a custodial term for his verified presence and unlawful actions within the rioting crowd.
• Tyler Stapleton was sentenced alongside the group, with the court noting that his actions contributed directly to the collective breakdown of public order.

Background: What Set Off the Ely Riots in 2023?

The civil unrest in Ely on 22 May 2023 developed directly from local anger surrounding the deaths of Kyrees Sullivan and Harvey Evans.

The two teenagers died when their electric bike collided with a barrier on Snowden Road. Tensions escalated rapidly within the community following the circulation of local CCTV footage, which captured a South Wales Police van driving behind the teenagers minutes before the fatal crash occurred.

The independent oversight body, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), subsequently launched an investigation into the contact between South Wales Police and the youths.

The IOPC later concluded that a South Wales Police officer should face a gross misconduct hearing concerning the accuracy of accounts provided to colleagues after the incident.

However, the investigation explicitly confirmed that there was no physical contact between the police vehicle and the boys’ e-bike prior to the crash. The police van was determined to have been approximately half a mile away on a separate road when the collision occurred.

Despite these factual findings, the initial perception of a police pursuit sparked a swift and violent reaction. Over several hours, rioters threw bricks, bottles, and fireworks at police lines.

One officer was injured by a petrol bomb, while multiple vehicles belonging to the public were overturned, vandalised, and set on fire. The total cost of property damage and emergency response ran into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

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Prediction: How Will This Sentencing Affect the Ely Community?

The conclusion of this initial round of sentencing is expected to have a tangible impact on the residents and community dynamics of Ely and the wider Cardiff area.

For the local community, the implementation of substantial custodial sentences for prominent local figures like O’Dare and Robinson is likely to serve as a strong judicial deterrent against future public disorder. Law enforcement agencies hope these outcomes will reinforce the boundaries of public safety and deter retaliatory actions against emergency service workers.

Conversely, the volatile reactions observed within the public gallery indicate that underlying friction between certain sections of the community and the justice system remains unresolved.

The imprisonment of these individuals may, in the short term, heighten localized resentment toward authority figures. However, community leaders and civil groups anticipate that the definitive resolution of these legal cases will allow long-term community rehabilitation efforts to proceed, helping to restore stability to an area deeply affected by the tragedy and its violent aftermath.