Pregnant Teen Sentenced 18 Months Over Rotherham Asylum Hotel Riot

Elarna Garner-Abbey, a 19-year-old pregnant woman from Doncaster, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for her role in violent disorder during the 2024 riots outside the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, Rotherham, where asylum seekers were housed. She was filmed throwing missiles at police officers, stoking fires, and handing flaming objects to others in the crowd, actions that placed her at the center of the unrest. Her ex-partner, Philip Wood, 22, who has a moderate learning disability, was sentenced to two years for violent disorder after being seen contributing to the violence, including setting a phone charger on fire. Despite her pregnancy, which was confirmed shortly before sentencing, Judge Jeremy Richardson ruled that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate due to the seriousness of the offenses, although he reduced her sentence as much as reasonably possible. Both Garner-Abbey and Wood also received 10-year criminal behavior orders. The case is part of wider legal actions following the 2024 Rotherham Riots, which resulted in over 150 years of combined prison sentences for those involved.