A FORMER Prince's Trust employee from Ponders End has been jailed for his involvement in last summer's City riots.

Brendan Judge, 25, of Gilda Avenue, admitted taking part in two instances of violent disorder on June 18 1999.

He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment at Southwark Crown Court last Thursday.

Judge, a registered care assistant with no previous convictions, had been captured on camera hurling a heavy missile, believed to be a brick, at police lines and egging-on other demonstrators to join in the disorder that marred the protest against global capitalism.

He was also seen wielding a scaffolding pole to smash his way into a building and then participating in an invasion of a finance house where security guards were force to seek refuge in a lift.

Miss Kate Brimlow, defending, said: 'He quite simply got carried away with the action. He was part of a peaceful demonstration for about five hours until the mood clearly changed.'

Judge George Bathurst-Norman said: 'I am the last person who would ever wish to interfere with the right to demonstrate. Free speech is the cornerstone of our civil liberty.'

But he condemned Judge's actions, which, he said: 'inevitably encouraged others to act in the same way and caused massive disorder to take place'.

He added 'Five thousand people took part in the demonstration that day, only about 200 or just a little more resorted to violence.'