Revealed: One in every 21 people sentenced over 2024 riots was experiencing homelessness

People experiencing homelessness were disproportionately more likely to have been sentenced for public disorder in the riots that rocked Britain two years ago, Big Issue analysis can reveal.

One in 21 of those sentenced for their participation in the riots was homeless at the time of their arrest.

Big Issue analysis of 601 media reports of individuals sentenced for taking part in the riots found that 28 were recorded as being homeless. In 13 areas where rioting took place, at least one of the rioters sentenced was experiencing homelessness. For the disorder that took place in Manchester, the figure was as high as one in six. 

Rather than people experiencing homelessness being predisposed to riot, these figures highlight an overlooked aspect of 2024 riots: that marginalised and often vulnerable individuals were swept up and participated in the disorder that was taking place around them. 

While sentencing a man who took part in rioting in Bolton, a judge noted “you had not travelled to the scene of the protest because you at the time, were street homeless living in the area.” Another woman who became involved in the disorder that took place in Hartlepool joined the crowds holding several carrier bags which were keeping all of her possessions while she was sleeping rough in the town centre. She described taking part in the riot and what subsequently followed as her “darkest hour.”

Court reports show that before participating in the riots, many of these individuals found themselves homeless following the breakdown of relationships, experiencing domestic abuse, losing jobs and following long periods of dealing with addiction. 

Some explained they joined the crowds, unclear as to their purpose, having missed the news from Southport. One told the courts he thought the gathering he was joining was a football celebration, another thought it was a parade with bands and music to come. These notions were quickly dispelled as some gave way to racist chanting or throwing missiles at police. 

Others, however, were sentenced for crimes that occurred as the riots turned to looting. A homeless man in Manchester was sentenced to 22 months in prison for stealing alcohol from a Sainsbury’s and attempting to take some vapes. Another man experiencing homelessness received a 12-month community order for attempting to force his way into the same supermarket.

Analysis by the Guardian found the majority of those charged came from the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods. Further Big Issue analysis shows that the 28 local authorities where riots took place have a slightly lower rate of homelessness (one in 188 people are homeless) than the national average (one in 153 people are homeless). This is in part due to the lack of rioting in London (apart from an incident of public disorder in Whitehall), where the highest rates of homelessness in the country are. 

A spokesperson for the Museum of Homelessness, who have researched far-right narratives on homelessness, told Big Issue: “Homelessness is something that is being weaponised by the far-right in towns and cities across the UK to turn people against each other, and we have to call it out. The far-right don’t care about homeless people and simply want to spread anger and polarisation – but we don’t have to listen.” 

Read more:

• New prime minister Andy Burnham starts with vow to end rough sleeping. Here’s how he aims to do it
• How one woman’s arrest helped to scrap the Vagrancy Act and decriminalise rough sleeping
• How big-hearted communities came together to clean-up after senseless UK riots

Participating in the riots will not have resolved the issues many of these people faced before their arrests, and they are still as deserving of support through the criminal justice system and on their release. The average sentence handed out to rioters was 27 months, meaning many have now been released or are shortly coming to the end of their time in prison. 

While in HMP Durham, a Sunderland man who had been homeless at the time of his arrest was able to speak with the prison’s imam, giving him the space to meaningfully discuss and learn about Islam, in contrast to the conspiratorial and right-wing videos he had been consuming prior to taking part in the riots.

Opportunities to learn from others and take part in training are becoming worryingly rare for most prisoners, not just those who were involved in the 2024 riots. A recent report from the Inspectorate of Prisons noted the lack of education is causing mental distress among prisoners and harming rehabilitation. 

Of further concern is the number of prisoners being released homeless. Currently, just over a thousand people every month go straight from prison into homelessness. This growing issue risks leaving many of these individuals back at square one, without stable accommodation and a basis from which to seek support and rebuild their lives. One woman’s case has already highlighted the significant impact it can have.

Stacey Vint was homeless at the time of her arrest following the riots in Middlesbrough, as addiction and instability had shaped her life up until that point. “I didn’t actually care about anything or about what happened to me, I’d lost custody of my kids, and I was just getting wrecked,” says Stacey. She was sentenced to 20 months for violent disorder, after helping push a burning wheelie bin towards the police.

Since her release, she has been living in supported accommodation, which has enabled her to access addiction support to remain abstinent, re-establish contact with her children and take part in restorative justice. The programme run by Restorative Cleveland has involved meeting individuals impacted by the riots and speaking to others about her journey. “I am not racist, far from it. But I was still part of something I should not have been,” says Stacey. “I want to make things right.”

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

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