Boy from Rochdale admits vandalising gravestones at Jewish cemetery

A 13-year-old boy from Rochdale has pleaded guilty to criminal damage after he admitted to toppling over and cracking gravestones at a Jewish Cemetery in Blackley.

A second 13-year-old boy from Blackley also pleaded guilty when the two appeared before Manchester Magistrates.

The schoolboys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were caught toppling the headstones and causing three to be cracked at the cemetery on Rochdale Road, Higher Blackley.

During their appearance at court, the boys were asked if they had “done it or not” with both admitting “I did it.”

Residents in the area had put themselves on high alert after an unrelated anti-semitic graffiti attack in June. Five days later when a “loud thudding noise” was heard, residents quickly responded and spotted the defendants.

It is understood that the boys rocked the headstones from side-to-side to such an extent that one fell and cracked. This then made an impact
with the headstone nearby causing that to crack.

Residents who witnessed this then shouted at the boys to stop and they ran off.

Damage caused by the boys is understood to have reached around £1,000.

One of the boys was already on a conditional discharge for criminal damage and also admitted to stealing £350 cash from a petty cash box at a care home.

The second boy had no criminal record with his crime being described as “simple criminal damage”.

Both defendants have now been bailed until a sentencing hearing on 16 September.