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‘Couriers' sentenced for transporting petrol bombs to Belfast riot scene

Both David Campbell (22) and 25-year old Brian Patrick Danny Millar were arrested in the Oldpark area of Belfast just moments after bringing a crate of bottles containing rags to waste ground
Both David Campbell (22) and 25-year old Brian Patrick Danny Millar were arrested in the Oldpark area of Belfast just moments after bringing a crate of bottles containing rags to waste ground Both David Campbell (22) and 25-year old Brian Patrick Danny Millar were arrested in the Oldpark area of Belfast just moments after bringing a crate of bottles containing rags to waste ground

TWO Belfast men who brought a crate of petrol bombs to a riot which broke out in the north of the city following an anti-internment parade, have been sentenced after appearing at the city's crown court.

While one of the 'couriers' was jailed, his co-accused was handed a suspended sentence, after they both admitted a charge of aiding and abetting the throwing of a petrol bomb.

Both David Campbell (22) and 25-year old Brian Patrick Danny Millar were arrested in the Oldpark area of Belfast just moments after bringing a crate of bottles containing rags to waste ground.

Millar - who was driving the car - was handed a three year and four months sentence. Campbell, who is a second year civil engineering student at Ulster University, was handed the same sentence, suspended for three years.

Trouble flared on the afternoon of August 9 last year following an anti-interment parade. The march was stopped by police on the Oldpark Road, resulting in police lines being attacked by a crowd consisting largely of teenagers and young people.

Officers were initially pelted with stones, bottles and masonry but as the riot continued they were attacked with petrol bombs. A total of eight officers were injured.

Campbell, from Clyde Court and Millar, from Damascas Street, arrived in the area during the street disorder and were captured on police CCTV driving to wasteground behind houses close to where the rioting was taking place.

While Millar was driving Campbell was seen to get out of the Ford Mondeo car and open the boot. An item, which was wrapped in a black binbag and which contained the bottles, was then taken by a waiting crowd of men.

The Mondeo was driven from the area and both men were detained a short distance away. After their arrests they refused to comment.

Crown barrister Philip Henry said while it was accepted that neither Campbell nor Millar took part in the riot, the presence of the petrol bombs resulted in a "significant escalation in rioting."

A barrister representing Millar said the father of two was "remorseful for his actions" which amounted to transporting the items then leaving the scene.

Campbell's solicitor said that at the time of last summer's offence, his client was only 21 and his family had been left "appalled by his conduct".

Sentencing the pair on Tuesday, Judge Geoffery Miller QC said: "Both defendants have accepted that bringing bottles to the scene for use as petrol bombs would inflame, in every sense of that word, a riot."