A WOMAN was arrested after hurling a plastic bottle at a judge as he sentenced a defendant involved in a violent disturbance in Bradford city centre.

The missile struck the wooden wall panelling behind Judge David Hatton QC and ricocheted to the floor as he handed out a suspended sentence to 20-year-old Molly Moulden, who had pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Moulden, of Fallowfield Close, Bierley, Bradford, struck and kicked out at Rian Anwar and had to be restrained from hitting him further during the violence.

As Judge Hatton announced that Moulden would be sentenced to six months youth custody - but before he could explain that it would be suspended for 12 months - friends in the public gallery stood and shouted insults and the bottle was thrown across the courtroom.

The judge ordered the woman to be arrested and cleared the public gallery before continuing his sentencing.

A 24-year-old woman was remanded in custody in connection with contempt of court and will appear before the judge on Monday.

Judge Hatton was sentencing five people in connection with a violent incident in Sackville Street and Westgate, Bradford, shortly before 5am on Bank Holiday Monday, May 26 last year.

Ryan Carpenter, 22, who was also a third strike drug trafficking offender, was jailed for a total of 13-and-a-half years. Tyrone Bailey, 28, of Brae Avenue, Bolton, Bradford, and Dwight Halliday, also 28, of Louis Street, Chapeltown, Leeds, were both jailed for 20 months after admitting violent disorder.

It brought the total years of custody handed out to almost 44 after 18-year-olds Jozeffi Jeffers, of Roman Place, Roundhay, Leeds, and Jahbari Blair, of Rookwood Vale, Osmondthorpe, Leeds, were sentenced to13 years and 12 years and four months youth custody respectively, and 20-year-old Marcus Kaye, of North Carr, Dalton, Huddersfield, to 20 months, at a previous hearing.

Prosecutor Glenn Parsons told the court yesterday the incident concerned a number of serious assaults in which a number of people received stab wounds, one man suffered a fractured skull and a robbery took place.

Judge Hatton told Carpenter, who pleaded guilty to violent disorder and causing grievous bodily harm, he participated with the other defendants to varying degrees in "disgusting and sickening violence."

Carpenter carried out a sustained attack with a bottle on Adam Hussain as he lay defenceless and being attacked by others, and punched and kicked others.

Judge Hatton told Carpenter: "Reasonable people in Bradford do not want or need violence on their streets, or want people like you on their streets who are prepared to engage in such violence."

Carpenter had admitted being concerned in the supply or production of class A drugs and was jailed for six years for that offence, with a consecutive seven and a half years for the offences of violence.

A 17-year-old Bradford youth, who played a minor role in the violence, was sentenced to a six-month referral order.

Judge Hatton commended Detective Sergeant Stuart Lyons and Detective Constable Hannah Mansell, of Bradford District CID, for their work on the "sensitive" case.