By Flaminia Luck
Donna Conniff, 40, from Alford Court in Hartlepool, was sentenced to two years in prison for her involvement in a violent protest on July 31. Identified through CCTV footage, Conniff was seen handing a brick to a juvenile who threw it at police officers. She was also part of a crowd that surged toward law enforcement while cheering as projectiles were hurled.
In her defense, Martin Scarborough claimed Conniff stumbled upon the protest, which was promoted on social media, by chance that evening. While Judge Francis Laird KC acknowledged her remorse, he condemned her behavior, stating, “Your actions and those of others were truly disgraceful.”
Conniff, who pleaded guilty to violent disorder, will serve a minimum of half her sentence in custody before potential release on license.
In a separate case, Kelly Wildego, 41, from Greenwich, received a four-month suspended sentence for assaulting an emergency worker during the same protest. Prosecutor Alex Agbamu noted that Wildego directed abusive language at police officers and charged at them after the main violence had subsided. Despite her remorse, the judge emphasized that her actions were unacceptable, issuing a curfew and additional costs.