A mother expressed gratitude to a judge after her two sons were sentenced for looting a library during far-right riots in Liverpool. Trudi Wharton, visibly emotional, thanked Judge Neil Flewitt KC as her sons, Adam, 28, and Ellis, 22, were sentenced to 20 and 11 months in prison, respectively.
As her sons were led away to their cells, Trudi Wharton called out, “I love you”, before telling the judge, “Can I just thank you, Judge?” The siblings had pleaded guilty to burglary, intending to steal from the Spellow Lane Library Hub in Walton. Ellis also admitted to assaulting an emergency worker during his arrest.
The Spellow Lane Library, which opened last year to support a deprived community and includes a food bank, was targeted on August 4. Ellis was found inside the library wearing a mask and holding a computer screen, while Adam was arrested nearby with a balaclava, acting as a lookout.
Outside court, Trudi Wharton told Sky News that she had been “expecting longer” sentences, acknowledging that her sons had “got carried away” during the riots.
She expressed her heartbreak, noting the additional strain of losing their father six years ago and her disabilities. “It’s going to be awful – a big struggle,” she said, adding that she is not a “scumbag.”
Ellis claimed he was “blackmailed” by his brother into participating in the looting. Adam has a history of 16 previous convictions for 28 offences, including attempted robbery, theft, assault, and burglary.
Judge Flewitt described the brothers’ actions as “deliberate” and noted that their conduct amounted to “looting,” which he termed a “despicable crime” that profits from the suffering of others.
