Overview

• Judge Richard McConaghy handed Fernandes a 28-month term and ordered that he serve at least 40 per cent in custody following his guilty plea to racially aggravated violent disorder.
• Prosecutor Emma Swindell told the court that bodycam footage captured Fernandes kicking riot police shields and directing racial abuse toward officers.
• Staffordshire Police identified and arrested Fernandes on August 22 after reviewing video of him shouting “it’s our country” and branding officers “scum” during the unrest.
• Fernandes, who has a previous conviction for assault, initially pleaded not guilty before changing his plea in court.
• The case highlights the judiciary’s zero-tolerance approach to public disorder and the critical role of body-worn cameras in securing convictions.