Two trial dates set for adults charged with Ely riots as hearings set to last nearly three months

A date has been set for people charged with rioting after violent disruption in the Ely area of Cardiff in May 2023. In total, 16 people appeared before Cardiff Crown Court on Friday, November 1, to be told when they would be facing trial for the charge against them. All defendants had previously pleaded not guilty to the offence.

Violent disorder that broke out in Ely after the deaths of two teenagers on May 22, 2023. Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and 15-year-old Harvey Evans were killed when their e-bike crashed in Ely in May last year. The boys' deaths sparked hours of violence and vandalism on May 22. Footage emerged of a police van following the two teenagers moments before the crash.

Last month 19 defendants appeared in court charged with rioting relating to the incident. Two of these – Kyle Telemaque, 19, from Ely and Jumana Fouad, 18, from Ely - pleaded guilty to the offence. Both will now be sentenced following the trial for the not guilty pleas, with these expected to be held in December 2025. Telemaque was 17 at the time of the incident and Fouad 16.

In a pre trial hearing at Cardiff Crown Court it was formally decided that because of the number of defendants, the court has split the trial in two, with the trial for the nine adults expected to start on September 22, 2025 at Newport Crown Court. It is expected to last for six weeks.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, the Recorder of Cardiff, said the gap between the trials would “prevent overlap between juries”. A pre-trial review for the first group is expected to be held on July 18, 2025.

The defendants to appear in the first trial are: Jaydan Baston, 20, from Caerau, Cardiff; Zayne Farrugia, 24, from Caerau; McKenzie Danks, 21, from Caerau; Harvey James, 18, from Fairwater, Cardiff; Jordan Webster, 28, from Ely; Kieron Beccano, 25, from St Fagans, Cardiff; Lee Robinson, 37, from Cardiff; Jayden Westcott, 20, from Ely; Luke Williams, 31, from Ely.

The second trial will start on November 17, 2025 also at Newport Crown Court and is expected to last four to five weeks. The second group are: Jordan Bratcher, 26, from Llanishen, Cardiff; McKenzie Pring, 19, who appeared from HMP Parc; Connor O’Sullivan, 25, from Caerau; Michaela Gonzales, 26, from Ely; Ashdon O’Dare, 26, from Ely; Lianna Tucker, 18, from Ely; Jamie Jones, 23, from Llanrumney, Cardiff.

A pre-trial review hearing was set for September 19 2025 for the second group of seven. All the defendants were granted bail.

The judge also set a separate hearing for Callum O’Sullivan, 24, from Ely, who was previously charged with rioting but has yet to be arraigned and was not required to appear before the court on Friday. O’Sullivan is expected to appear before the court on March 28, 2025.

Seven youths, aged between 15 and 17, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are set to appear before Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on December 16, also charged with rioting.

Join the CardiffOnline WhatsApp community

CardiffOnline has launched a brand new WhatsApp community to bring the latest news and top stories from Cardiff directly to your phone - and it's totally free.

From court stories and traffic updates to breaking news and features, our new CardiffOnline Whatsapp community will be the fastest way to get the biggest stories about the capital city.

Want to join? All you have to do is click on this link, select 'Join Community' and you're in. We will not spam your feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily.

If for some reason you decide you no longer want to be in our community, you can leave by clicking on the name at the top of your screen and clicking 'Exit Group'. We occasionally treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can read our Privacy Notice here.

Join our WhatsApp community here.