Leeds Crown Court Sentencing Results

Markel Ible, 32, of St Martins Gardens, Leeds, made a hoax bomb threat call to the Sinai Synagogue in Roundhay, Leeds, on October 6, 2025, claiming he had left a bomb set to explode the following day. The call was made from an unknown number, four days after the fatal terror attack at Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester on October 2, 2025, during Yom Kippur, which killed two victims.

Gary Lewin, 42, of Brown Royd Avenue, Rawthorpe, manipulated and sexually abused a teenage girl starting in 2024 after his release from prison. He bought her gifts including a PlayStation 5, iPhone Pro Max, and jewellery, supplied her with alcohol and cannabis, sent romantic messages, and engaged in sexual activity with her on multiple occasions, including at her home, in Huddersfield, and at an AirBnB in August 2024. The abuse caused the victim to stop attending school and led to her being reported missing. CCTV installed by her mother captured an incident. Despite bail conditions prohibiting contact, he continued to see her. The victim initially sought to protect him but later confirmed the abuse. Lewin gave 'no comment' interviews, claiming the allegations were revenge.

Yusuf Egberongbe, 67, of Shakespeare Lawn, Leeds, preyed on young girls by offering them lifts, alcohol, drugs and cash to gain influence and control over them before repeatedly sexually assaulting them. He targeted two girls jointly with Delroy Scott. The investigation was launched in August 2021 after one victim spoke to a family member. Egberongbe was arrested the same day. The offending would likely have continued without the report.

Qabir Hussain, 54, was driving a van and using his mobile phone to check emails moments before he ran over and killed the 85-year-old victim as he crossed Barnsley Road in Wakefield in January 2022.

Police found a handwritten recipe for black powder during an intelligence-led search at Gilleard's home in Leeds on 28 May 2025. The recipe was later verified by experts as potentially viable. Gilleard was remanded in custody after his arrest and pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court on 20 June 2025.

On November 24, 2022, following a dispute over a girlfriend, Grant Bower participated in a violent attack on a family home in Birstall. He drove his Transit van at speed towards the victims' house, causing it to shake, reversed into railings, and nearly ran over a pedestrian and the family dog. The incident involved at least seven men emerging from a ginnel, armed with weapons like metal poles, glass bottles, and a shopping trolley handle. Glass bottles were thrown at the house, and a nearby school was placed on lockdown for half an hour due to reports of men with knives.

On November 24, 2022, in Birstall, Lewis Boocock joined his brother Luke and others in attacking a family home after a love-rival dispute. The group of at least seven men came out of a ginnel armed with weapons including a metal pole, glass bottles, and a shopping trolley handle. Lewis showed enthusiasm for violence, running towards a woman with a metal pole, striking the door with a stick, kicking it, and smashing the window. The attack caused a nearby school to go into lockdown for half an hour.

On November 24, 2022, Luke Boocock, after fighting his love rival earlier that day over a girlfriend, contacted the man to arrange a one-on-one fight. Instead, he arrived with his brother Lewis, Grant Bower, and others, totaling at least seven men armed with weapons like metal poles, glass bottles, and a shopping trolley handle. They attacked the family home in Birstall, throwing bottles and causing a school lockdown. Luke fought with the two sons and appeared armed, though he claimed otherwise.

On April 11, 2023, Muzaffer Mir, 35, of Grove Road in Shipley, was driving his modified BMW M2 at grossly excessive speeds between 86mph and 96mph on the 40mph A647 Bradford Road. He struck and killed the victim, 26, who had just alighted from a bus and was crossing the road. The victim stepped into the eastbound carriageway, raised his arm to signal Mir to stop, but was hit, suffering catastrophic injuries and dying at the scene. Mir stopped at the scene and expressed remorse. Prior complaints about his speeding had been made to his dental surgery.

Samuel Hunter, 33, of Boothroyd Lane, Dewsbury, engaged in a campaign of harassment and stalking against his ex-partner, her mother, and an innocent man he mistakenly believed was involved with her after their split in September 2024. He tracked her car using a device, sent threatening messages, including threats to 'send the boys round', and contacted the man under a false profile. He also harassed her family, including visits by associates pressuring to drop charges. Additionally, in a separate incident at his Holmfirth quarry, he assaulted a man photographing the area by barging, punching, tripping, and setting dogs on him, causing injuries.

Andrew Baker, 36, of no fixed address, was subject to a restraining order from 2023 prohibiting contact with his mother and brother. He breached it twice in August 2025 by approaching them in Leeds city centre, including at Merkur slots, to ask for money, and by calling his mother on various phone numbers. His mother reported giving him hundreds of pounds since his release in May 2025, expressing fear due to his past violent behaviour, causing her harassment, alarm, and distress. Baker relapsed into using spice and crack cocaine after being placed in accommodation where he faced drug debts of £60-70.

Kameren Foster, 23, was spotted by police driving a stolen scooter while wearing a balaclava on July 8, 2024, in Leeds Road. He led officers on a dangerous pursuit, driving at high speed, swerving through traffic, travelling on the wrong side of the road, exceeding speed limits, running red lights, mounting a curb on a pedestrian crossing, and narrowly missing other vehicles. The chase ended when he and his passenger fell from the scooter in Great Northern Street, Huddersfield. A small amount of cannabis was found on him, and the scooter had been stolen on July 4, 2024, from the owner's apartment complex.

John Eastman, 43, was serving a sentence at Kirkham Prison, a category D men's prison in Lancashire, when he was informed his release date of June 11 would not proceed. He escaped by running to the fence, as seen on CCTV, and was found hiding under his partner's bed in Castleford. He was arrested shortly after and admitted he knew he should not have left.

Richard Vickers, after drinking, attacked his father at their home in Ossett on August 24, 2025, by punching him multiple times in the face while he was sitting in a chair watching TV. The attack was triggered by overhearing his father scolding his daughter about her behaviour. Vickers had previously threatened violence but this was the first physical incident. His father suffered severe eye injuries requiring hospital surgery and risked permanent loss of sight.

Daniel Dyson, 29, of Mitchell Avenue in Huddersfield, attacked his ex-partner's new partner's friend with a knife outside her mother's address on February 18, 2025. The incident occurred after his ex-partner returned from a night out, leading to an argument. Dyson slashed the victim's face, causing permanent scarring, and boasted about the attack. He was arrested shortly after and has a history of violent offenses.

Lewis Minnock, a married businessman and co-director of Robiva properties and Sovereign Homes, cheated on his pregnant wife with a woman he met through work. After she left her partner, Minnock subjected her to controlling and coercive behaviour starting from early 2023. He installed listening devices in her car (disguised as a phone charger) and home (including a disguised camera in her bedroom and three in the living room and bedroom), used trackers on her car, called the devices over 1,000 times each between March and December 2023 to eavesdrop, attempted to hire a private investigator for £4,500 to follow her on holiday in Mexico in January 2023 (but refunded it), and assaulted her twice, including dragging her out of her house captured on doorbell camera. He also showed up uninvited at locations she visited and left coffees on her doorstep. The victim was forced to leave her job and home due to fear and paranoia.

Banokuthula Khanye, 29, of Burmantofts Street, Leeds, engaged in online conversations on Telegram bragging about sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl when he was 23, masturbating over children using TikTok, and offering £60 to a parent for sex with their 15-year-old daughter. He possessed still images of a woman being penetrated by a dog and searched for child abuse content. The period of offending started in 2022. He was interviewed and made no comment.

Officers from Batley and Spen Neighbourhood Policing Team raided Kristean Delia's property on Bradford Road, Dewsbury on 21 May 2025 following community intelligence about suspicious activity, discovering a large-scale cannabis factory with nearly 700 plants, leading to his immediate arrest.

Kristeen Delia was operating a large-scale cannabis farm with approximately 700 plants in various stages of growth at a property in Bradford Road, Dewsbury. Police acted on community intelligence and executed a warrant on May 21, 2025, leading to his arrest and the seizure of the plants.

David Dalton stalked a woman in Pudsey by appearing on her doorbell camera, leaving items such as rosary beads, a picture of John Lennon, and a backpack containing a cassette tape and socket wrench at her front door. He also interacted with her partner and tipped his hat to her, causing her anxiety and lifestyle changes for safety. Additionally, he assaulted a police officer by punching them during an incident at a police station on March 15, 2025.

Indrit Hespepa was found at a cannabis farm in Pudsey on April 5, 2024, where over 490 cannabis plants with a street value of half a million pounds were discovered. He had previously been caught dealing drugs in Portsmouth in 2023 and possessing cannabis in Newcastle in February of the previous year. Officers found him living at the address with bypassed electricity for the operation.

Franchesco Mazniniku was discovered at a cannabis farm in Pudsey on April 5, 2024, alongside Indrit Hespepa. The property contained over 490 cannabis plants at various stages of growth, with equipment set up for production and bypassed electricity. He was living at the address and participated in the operation for financial gain.

Thomas Richardson, 38, from The Laurels, Barlby, North Yorkshire, participated in a £16.7 million smuggling ring that flooded the UK with 91 million canisters of nitrous oxide via bogus catering firms between May 2016 and December 2018, exceeding legitimate use and contributing to public health risks and anti-social behaviour.

Carl Messen, 58, from South Farm Drive, Skellow, Doncaster, was involved in a organised criminal enterprise that imported 91 million canisters of nitrous oxide for illegal sale, using fake businesses to conceal activities and launder over £16.7 million from May 2016 to December 2018.

Benjamin Richardson, 38, from The Laurels, Barlby, North Yorkshire, was involved in a large-scale smuggling operation that imported 91 million canisters of nitrous oxide from May 2016 to December 2018, despite knowing it was illegal for drug use. The operation used front companies like 'Worldwide Coffee Traders Ltd' to launder money, with bank deposits totalling more than £16.7 million, much of it in cash.

Dion Dube, 22, of Orchard Mount, Cross Gates, was involved in a plot to rob an Argos delivery driver at machete-point after ordering goods online. The plan involved stealing the items and falsely reporting them as undelivered to obtain a refund. Text messages revealed detailed planning, including the purchase of a machete, but the scheme failed due to a mix-up with the delivery time.

Antony Caton was arrested for threatening staff at a private hire firm and making racist remarks. While in custody at Elland Road Police Station, he smeared his own faeces in his cell and on a hospital bed after complaining of chest pains. At Leeds General Infirmary, he continued his abusive behaviour, including racist comments towards staff and a police officer, attempted to pull down his trousers, and bit the officer on the hand, raising concerns about infection.

Andrew Light attacked the victim in his cell at HMP Wakefield on February 11, 2024, by stabbing him repeatedly in the head and face with a makeshift knife. The attack was motivated by the victim's status as a convicted child sex offender. Light pulled the victim back into the cell when he tried to escape and continued the assault until prison officers intervened, after which the victim hid under the bed for safety.

Ian Rothery, 70, launched a ferocious attack on his 67-year-old partner inside their shared house in High Street, South Hiendley, on February 2, stabbing her multiple times in the collar, neck, and shoulder, and causing injuries to her face and hands. She escaped to the back garden and a neighbour's house, where she was found by police and paramedics. CCTV footage showed further assault, including kicking her while she was on the floor, leaving her with lasting physical and emotional trauma, such as constant pain and flashbacks.