Man accused of 'striking the match' in riots breaks down in the dock

A man accused of playing a key role in riots in Cardiff broke down in the dock as he described the scene following a crash which killed two teenagers.

Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died on May 22, 2023, after their e-bike crashed in the Ely area of the city, sparking hours of violence and vandalism with about 150 people turning up to riot.

Ashdon O'Dare, 28, from Ely, was accused of "striking the match that lit the fuse".

During his trial at Newport Crown Court this week, O'Dare said: "The scene I was looking at was just tragic so I was emotional at the time. There was a lot going. It was overwhelming."

Zoe Laugharne, defending O'Dare, asked him what he saw when he arrived at the scene of the boys' deaths.

The defendant then broke down into tears.

He said: "I don't want to tell you what I seen, I seen them laying there on the floor."

Matthew Cobbe, prosecuting, had previously questioned O'Dare about his behaviour at the scene, with the defendant responding that he was "stressed and emotional" at the time but "didn't want to hurt anybody".

Cobbe said O'Dare became "aggressively vocal and confrontational" and was "one of the most prominent during the early stages".

He 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."

O'Dare, who had previously explained that his stepdad was godfather to Harvey Evans and he was close to both boys, apologised for the language he used.

Asked by Laugharne why he decided to leave the scene before the rioting, he said: "Because I wanted to go home and support my family."

She asked him if at any stage he had encouraged the people around him, committed any acts of violence, encouraged others to commit acts of violence, encouraged others to throw anything at the police, or throw anything at the police himself.

O'Dare replied "no" in each instance.

Michaela Gonzales, 37, from 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 8 June.

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