First post riot ASBO bans yob from city centre

A man who fought with a police officer during August’s riots has become the first person in the country to receive an ASBO following the disturbances.

The order bans Jason Ulett, aged 38 and from Woodward Court in Ardwick, from entering Manchester city centre.

Manchester City Council applied for the ASBO, which was granted in Ulett's absence at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Tuesday September 27.

Ulett was among a large group of people who had gathered outside the looted Sainsbury's store on Oxford Road during the riots on August 9.

Dressed in dark clothing and with a hooded top hiding his face while riding a pushbike, he approached a police officer who had been called to the scene.

When the officer asked him to remove his hood, Ulett began to struggle with him.

Despite other officers being called to the scene, he continued to swear and struggle, and eventually had to be handcuffed.

He was arrested at the scene and was sentenced to 10 weeks imprisonment after pleading guilty to a public order offence on August 10 - the day after the riots. He served five weeks of the sentence.

Ulett also has many previous convictions for a range of offences, including pushing a man to the ground who refused to give him a cigarette on Dale Street in September 2009, and stealing cans of lager from Sainsbury's in Piccadilly Railway Station this January.

He was convicted of stealing cans of deodorant from a shop on Princess Street, also in January this year.

The order also bans Ulett from remaining in any shop if he is asked to leave by the staff and from using abusive, threatening and intimidating language towards anyone. Breaking any conditions of the order could result in Ulett being sent back to jail.

Councillor Paul Andrews, Manchester City Council's executive member for neighbourhood services, said: "We have already seen a strong reaction to the riots by Manchester residents, Greater Manchester Police and the courts which issued tough sentences against those responsible.

"This order - the first of its kind in the UK - continues to send out the strong message that we will not let a small group of thugs try to ruin our city centre.

"Manchester residents and businesses should take comfort from this order and I urge anyone who spots Ulett breaching his order to contact the police immediately."

Assistant Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: "Greater Manchester Police and our partners simply will not tolerate opportunistic criminality or disorder.

"Last month's disorder showed that in partnership with other authorities, Greater Manchester Police is well-equipped to be able to restore order and help prosecute offenders, and this case is an example of this.

"This case offers a timely reminder ahead of this weekend's Trade Union Congress (TUC), where we are expecting large numbers of people to peacefully protest on the streets of Manchester, that anyone who wishes to cause trouble or incite disorder will be met by the full force of the law."