An armed mob ‘lured’ police on to the streets by firebombing a pub so they could attack them during last summer’s riots, a court heard today.They fired at least 12 shots at officers from four guns during the night of ‘orchestrated violence’ in Birmingham, a jury was told.
Prosecutor Andrew Lockhart QC said the Barton Arms pub in the inner city Newtown area was set fire to before furniture from it was used to build a ‘makeshift barricade’ and to smash into other nearby shops and offices.
But in contrast to other incidents during the riots which spread across the country and saw large-scale looting, nothing else was stolen from any of the businesses because the dozens of masked and hooded men responsible for this incident had a ‘different agenda’. Read More
