HMP Birmingham riot: Selfie inmates cleared of rioting
Two inmates who took a selfie during a 15-hour riot at HMP Birmingham have been cleared of prison mutiny.
The photo of Carl Brookes and Ross Queen wearing prison officers' helmets was posted on social media during the disorder at the G4S-run jail in 2016. The disturbance spread to four wings and saw 500 prisoners being let out of their cells. The men previously admitted taking a photo or making a sound recording without authority. The pair were among nine inmates on trial at Birmingham Crown Court over the riot. Two other prisoners were convicted of using a mobile phone to film rampaging inmates. Kash Wallace videoed the trouble and captured Ricardo Davis-McCann also filming the disorder on a mobile phone, the Crown Prosecution Service said. Wallace's footage subsequently ended up on social media. The five remaining inmates were all cleared of prison mutiny. The riot, on 16 December, cost G4S about £6m. Stolen keys were used to free the hundreds of prisoners from their cells before inmates threw TVs out of windows, built bonfires, pelted staff with missiles and paint and used an injured prisoner as "bait" during the disorder. West Midlands Police, said it was "frightening" to watch the recorded footage after the riot, described by the Prison Officers' Association as the worst disorder since the Strangeways disorder 26 years ago. Six other inmates were jailed for their part in the trouble last September. The defendants: Ross Queen, 31, was cleared of one count of prison mutiny and a second count of prison mutiny and failing to submit to lawful authorities. He previously admitted taking a photo or making a sound recording without authority. Carl Brookes, 33, was cleared of one count of prison mutiny and a second count of prison mutiny and failing to submit to lawful authorities. He also previously admitted taking a photo or making a sound recording without authority. Ricardo Davis-McCann, 23, was cleared of prison mutiny, but was convicted of taking a photo or making a sound recording without authority. Kash Wallace, 25, was convicted of prison mutiny and also of taking a photo or making a sound recording without authority. Jayon Foster, 35, was cleared of prison mutiny. Mohammed Khan, 39, was cleared of prison mutiny. Sean Kinsella, 31, denied and was cleared of prison mutiny. Hayden Mills 23, denied and was cleared of prison mutiny. Brodie Wadrup, 28, was cleared of prison mutiny. Sentencing will follow at a later date.