Six-Hour Prison Riot at HMP Swaleside Ends in Heavy Sentences
A violent six-hour riot at HMP Swaleside erupted on Sunday 3 December 2017 after a heated clash between inmates. The chaos started around 10am when prisoners refused orders to return to their cells, sparking a tense standoff.
Inmates Barricade Themselves and Wreak Havoc
Prisoners barricaded themselves inside a wing, blocking windows to prevent guards from seeing in. They smashed a fridge freezer to break out of a contained room, armed themselves with makeshift weapons ripped from prison fittings, and forced officers to retreat.
Using heavy furniture like pool and football tables, the inmates barricaded the wing further. CCTV footage revealed extensive damage to cell viewing windows, alarm buttons, washing machines, tumble dryers, recreational equipment, and cameras. A small fire also broke out during the riot.
Specialist Team Quells Riot with Dogs, Spray, and Grenades
The National Tactical Response Group and Op Tornado officers finally regained control. They stormed the wing with prison dogs, Pava spray, and flash grenades to end the six-hour siege safely.
Nine Inmates Jailed After Court Trials
Following investigations and Crown Prosecution Service charges, four trials took place at Maidstone Crown Court between March 2019 and May 2021. A reporting restriction lifted after the final trial revealed the following convictions:
- Marcus Moore, 37: Three years 6 months for prison mutiny (consecutive), 1 year 6 months for criminal damage (concurrent)
- Owen Lane, 26: Two years 6 months prison mutiny (consecutive), 1 year criminal damage (concurrent)
- Daniel Allen, 35: Two years 4 months prison mutiny (consecutive), 1 year criminal damage (concurrent)
- Anthony Bulmer, 29: Four years prison mutiny (consecutive), 1 year 6 months criminal damage (concurrent)
- Kenny Garcia, 26: Two years 8 months prison mutiny (consecutive), 1 year criminal damage (concurrent)
- Mohamed Mohamed, 29: Three years 6 months prison mutiny (consecutive), 1 year 4 months criminal damage (concurrent)
- Louis Quatre, 26: Two years prison mutiny (consecutive), 1 year criminal damage (concurrent)
- Colin Weeding, 31: Four years prison mutiny (consecutive), 1 year 6 months criminal damage (concurrent)
- John Woodfield, 27: Two years 6 months prison mutiny (consecutive), 1 year 6 months criminal damage (concurrent)
The following inmates were convicted of prison mutiny only:
- Samuel Simon, 28 – Three years 6 months
- Jamal Ferguson, 30 – Three years 6 months
- Malki Ferguson, 29 – Three years 6 months
- Marcus McIntosh, 28 – Two years 6 months
Additional sentences were handed to:
- Gavin Aina, 43 – Six-week concurrent sentence for criminal damage
- Jamal Green, 27 – Nine months consecutive for criminal damage
- Marvin Mclean, 34 – Pleaded guilty to both charges, awaiting sentence
Police Praise Staff for Quick Response During Dangerous Riot
“This incident escalated in violence extremely quickly and was a frightening incident for the prison staff involved who had to ensure their own safety was made a priority as well as the safety of prison inmates,” said Detective Constable Matthew Robinson from Kent Police.
“Tensions were high throughout this incident and had it not been brought under control safely it had the risk of escalating further. It was testament to the prison staff involved that their quick actions ensured that no members of staff were hurt during this incident.”
“Behaving in such a manner inside prisons is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. We will not hesitate to ensure everyone involved is held accountable.”
