LONDON — A 16-year-old boy was ordered Tuesday to stand trial for the murder of a retiree attacked when he confronted rioters in London, as British judges and prosecutors used tough punishment and name-and-shame tactics against hundreds of alleged participants in the mayhem.
The government said police would get better training and stronger powers to deal with a new and unpredictable era of street disturbances.
"We will make sure police have the powers they need," said Home Secretary Theresa May — including, she suggested, the power to impose blanket curfews in troubled areas.
A teenager, who has not been named because of his age, appeared in court Tuesday accused of killing 68-year-old Richard Bowes, who was found lying in a street during violence in Ealing, west London, on Aug. 8.
CCTV footage captured Bowes being punched and falling to the pavement after he tried to stamp out a fire set by rioters. He died of head injuries three days later.
London cleans up and assesses the damage
The suspect, dressed in a black shirt and with his arms crossed, was charged with murder, violent disorder and the burglary of a bookmakers, a supermarket, a video store and a restaurant.
He did not enter a plea and was ordered detained as he awaits trial at the Central Criminal Court.
The boy's 31-year-old mother has been charged with obstructing the police investigation. She also was denied bail.
Police have arrested more than 3,000 people over riots that erupted Aug. 6 in north London and flared for four nights across the capital and other English cities.
And about 1,400 have been charged with riot-related offenses. More than 1,200 have appeared in court — often in chaotic, round-the clock-sessions dispensing justice that is swifter, and harsher, than usual.
Meanwhile it emerged Tuesday that
British law enforcement officials have been advised to ignore regular sentencing guidelines and mete out harsher punishments when dealing with those found guilty of rioting.
The stepped-up guidelines issued by the country's prosecution service explain why some of those found to have been involved in the outbursts that swept Britain have received more punitive sentences than normal, The Guardian reported on Tuesday.
Video: Rebuilding lives in the aftermath of UK riots (on this page)
For example, one mother-of-two was sent to jail for five months after being caught with a pair of shorts that had been stolen earlier, the newspaper reported. A 23-year-old was imprisoned for six months after stealing water worth $5.70 from a supermarket.
The new guidance for Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service emerged after an official in south London said her court had been given guidelines that those involved in rioting should be sent to prison, the newspaper reported.
The police and judicial system have come under intense pressure to deal harshly with those found to have been involved in the violence.
Story: UK's Cameron could gain from tough riot responseNevertheless, the courts and tribunals service denied that there had been any political meddling in the country's courts.
"Sentencing is a matter for the independent judiciary," a spokeswoman told msnbc.com. "Magistrates in London are being advised by their legal advisers to consider whether their powers of punishment are sufficient in dealing with some cases arising from the recent disorder."
Five people died during the violence that ravaged English cities last week, including three men hit by a car in Birmingham as they protected local shops from looters. Two men and a teenage boy have been charged with murdering Haroon Jahan, 20, and brothers Shazad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31.
Several suspects have been questioned about the death of a man who was shot in the head during rioting in south London.
Video: 'Moral collapse' triggered riots (on this page)Police under pressure
Police also seemed to be heeding calls for harsher measures to crack down on violence that often spread via social networking when authorities announced on Twitter that they were charging a man for organizing a water fight on his BlackBerry.
Residents of Essex, outside of London, were informed that police were "working to keep the county safe" when they said the 20-year-old man "who allegedly sent messages from a BlackBerry encouraging people to join in a water fight has been charged with encouraging or assisting in the commission of an indictable offence under the Serious Crime Act 2007."
Prime Minister David Cameron, meanwhile, has said that the government will crack down on people using sites like Facebook and Twitter to further violence.
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