TWO men have been jailed for their involvement in the barricading of a flat, throwing missiles at police, setting fires, and causing a school to be closed.

Vuitton Robbins, 18, known as Tom, and Akay Coaker, 20, were sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Friday (August 4) for several counts of thefts, burglary, and violent disorder offences.

A third defendant, Reiss James, 21, was also due to be sentenced but his hearing has been adjourned due to the delay in obtaining a pre-sentence report.

READ MORE: Boiling water and radiator thrown at police after men barricade themselves in flat

The violent disorder incident occurred on December 8, 2022, at flat 145A on Caversham Road. Police had arrived at the address to arrest the three men for a string of bike and electric bike thefts across Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

However, the men resisted arrest by barricading the door and beginning to launch missiles at police with Robbins being the main instigator, according to the Crown, and Reiss providing him support.

Coaker was previously acquitted of violent disorder by a jury but did plead guilty to damaging the flat during the incident.

The thefts were carried out across Reading at Riverside View in Berkeley Avenue, Kingfisher Place, Royal Berkshire Hospital, and Thames Tower in Station Road. Thefts were also carried out in Oxford on Hinkey Road, Penny Farthing Place, Botley Road, Castle Street and more.

Robbins pleaded guilty to six thefts to an estimated value of £19,748.98 and five burglaries/attempted burglaries to the proven value of £10,360. He also admitted arson, criminal damage and two counts of attempted grievous bodily harm.

James pleaded guilty to seven thefts to the estimated value of £18,289.98 and five burglaries to the proven value of £3,860. He also admitted violent disorder and criminal damage.

Coaker pleaded guilty to four thefts to the estimated value of £3,734, one count of handling stolen goods to the value of £40 and one count of domestic burglary.

Three other men have already been sentenced for their involvement in these thefts: Robbin’s brother, Armani, 20, Fraser Banham, 19, and Kieron Evans, 23.

Read their sentencing here: Three men JAILED for multiple thefts across Berkshire and Oxfordshire

However, when police arrived at the flat to arrest these defendants for their involvement at 5.40am, they had to quickly close the road and the E P Collier Primary School shut down for the day due to missiles being thrown from the window.

Two radiators were thrown, one hitting an officer on the head, as well as glass items, plant pots, a kettle, and hot water. Two fires were lit in ‘attempts to ignite the gas meter’ at the entrance of the property.

It was also an attempt to get officers closer to the property so missiles could be thrown at them.

Robbins could be heard shouting: “Come in at your own risk, you don’t know what we’ve got in here,” as well as, “An officer is getting murdered, don’t worry.”

The stand-off lasted for four hours until the men were eventually arrested and remanded in custody. About £5,000 of damage occurred in the flat as items such as a sofa and microwave had been thrown down the stairs.

Defending Robbins, Nadia Chbat said he was ‘emotionally volatile’ at the time and had only resisted arrest in attempts to see his daughter being born.

She said: “He has expressed some regret. He has come from a difficult background and has always felt he must commit offences to make money.”

Defending Coaker, his barrister said he was a ‘very, very young man’ at the time and has described himself as ‘an idiot’ that got himself into ‘absolute nonsense’.

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She said: “This is a young man who was led astray and fell in with the wrong crowd”.

Judge Sarah Campbell sentenced Robbins, of Amity Street, to five years and six months in a youth offenders’ institution.

Coaker, of Benson Close, was sentenced to 22 months in a youth offenders’ institution.

James, of Shirley Avenue, will be sentenced on September 6.