A teenager has been sentenced to community payback after striking a police officer in the head with a brick during a violent Halloween night disorder in Edinburgh. According to BBC News, Kieran Sutherland was caught on CCTV footage throwing the brick at a police vehicle in the Niddrie area on 31 October 2024, leaving the constable with permanent scarring and ongoing psychological difficulties.
Sutherland, 19, was ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and placed on a 20-month supervision order at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. He was also required to pay the injured officer £1,000 in compensation after admitting culpable and reckless conduct. The officer struck by the brick was identified as PC Joanne Hiroz, with CCTV footage showing the brick striking her in the face.
Two other men were also sentenced for their involvement in the disorder. Sean McGovern, 18, admitted smashing a police van windscreen with a firework and was handed a 300-hour unpaid work order alongside a restriction of movement curfew requiring him to remain at home between 22:00 and 06:00 for six months. Nathan Anderson, 21, pleaded guilty to igniting and aiming fireworks at police officers and throwing bricks at vehicles and members of the public. Anderson also incited other members of the mob to join in with the violent attacks and received a 300-hour community payback order.
All three men, from Edinburgh, had pleaded guilty to offences aggravated by use of a firework in relation to an emergency worker. The court was shown CCTV footage of masked youths launching fireworks and missiles at police officers and vehicles deployed to Niddrie Mains Road to halt the violence. Fiscal depute Emma Laing described how officers were forced to retreat into their vehicle after being targeted by a large group at approximately 21:00 on the evening of the disorder.
Sheriff Komorowski described McGovern's attack on the police van as
deeply disturbing and concerning. The windscreen was cracked by an explosive device thrown during the assault, with the vehicle subsequently bombarded by fireworks. All three defendants were identified through CCTV footage analysis and were later arrested and charged.
Supply of fireworks during the disorder
The investigation into the Halloween night violence extended beyond those directly involved in attacks on officers. Jordan McMillan was convicted in June 2025 for supplying fireworks used against police and members of the public during the 2024 Niddrie disorder, receiving a 10-month restriction of liberty order in July 2025. This conviction highlighted the broader network of individuals who facilitated the violent disorder.
Context of disorder in Edinburgh
The Halloween night violence in Niddrie was part of a pattern of serious disorder in Edinburgh during significant dates. The city had previously experienced substantial unrest during Bonfire Night celebrations, with Edinburgh's 2023 Bonfire Night disorder injuring 62 officers, with police describing the violence as unprecedented. The recurring nature of such incidents during festive occasions has prompted increased police deployment and enforcement measures.
The sentences handed down to Sutherland, McGovern, and Anderson reflect the seriousness with which the courts treat violence directed at emergency workers. Each defendant received substantial community payback orders, with McGovern also subject to a night-time curfew. The compensation order imposed on Sutherland acknowledges the lasting impact of his actions on the injured officer, who continues to experience both physical and psychological effects from the attack.
