Man called police 'dirty little c****' before lighting fuse of Ely riot, court hears

A man accused of playing a key role in a large Cardiff riot called police trying to calm disorder "rapists" and "dirty little c****", a court has heard.

Ashdon O’Dare, of Penygarn Road, Ely, is accused of “striking the match that lit the fuse” when rioting broke out in Ely following the deaths of two teenagers.

Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, were killed on May 22, 2023, after their e-bike crashed in the Cardiff suburb. The boys’ deaths sparked hours of violence and vandalism with around 150 people turning up to riot.

At Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday, prosecution barrister Matthew Cobbe played footage to the jury which showed O'Dare, 28, at the scene in the hours that followed the fatal collision.

Giving evidence, retired PC Fiona Haggerty-Jones said the footage showed O'Dare shout at police officers: “Oh, you love rapists, all of you, you're all just a bunch of rapists, you're dirty little c****.”

According to Mr Cobbe, at 8.33pm that evening, O’Dare was seen pushing members of the public towards officers. He then turned to the crowd behind him, bouncing and shouting, “tell them we live here”. He said “you are not f****** moving us…..f*** off.”

More footage from a higher angle (police drone footage) was shown in court which showed O’Dare pushing people in front of him and raising his arms into the air. In footage captured at 8.43pm, Mr Cobbe says O’Dare can be seen pointing and shouting “Yo - we’ve had a f****** enough”.

Defence barrister Zoe Laugharne, for O’Dare, cross-examined retired PC Fiona Haggerty-Jones.

Ms Laugharne said “for the majority” of the time, her client was "walking around talking to people”.

She added: “From what has been put together (footage), there is no evidence of O’Dare injuring anybody, no evidence of him threatening to injure anybody, no evidence of him using physical violence, no evidence of him charging, no evidence of him picking up any items, no evidence of him throwing, no evidence of him handing anything to anyone to throw, or telling anyone to throw anything.

"The main footage you’ve got is of him shouting, pointing and waving his arms.”

Opening the case on Monday (February 2), Mr Cobbe said O'Dare became “aggressively vocal and confrontational” at the scene and was "one of the most prominent during the early stages".

Mr Cobbe added: “He left early, but only after the bottles had started to be thrown - the riot had started.

“He was instrumental in striking the match that lit the fuse. Leaving before the riot had fully taken hold does not make him any less responsible for the part he played in this riot. It is no defence that he left before the riot he encouraged fully took hold.

“The riot had started - he had helped start it.”

Michaela Gonzales, 37, of Plymouth Wood Close, Ely, was also due to stand trial at Newport Crown Court having been charged with rioting, but changed her plea to guilty on Monday morning. She was remanded on bail and will be sentenced on June 8.

O’Dare denies one charge of rioting. The trial continues.