Sheffield Crown Court Sentencing Results

Samuel Whibley was found guilty following an eleven-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court of eight terrorism offences including encouragement of terrorism and dissemination of a terrorist publication. The defendants had formed a private online chat group to share extreme right-wing views and endorse violence. Whibley was arrested in May 2021 by Counter Terrorism Policing North East.

Zahir Ahmed, a landlord of Sheffield, appeared after pleading guilty to six charges of failing to comply with fire safety regulations at a property. A fire broke out at around 3.25am on 25 February 2022, trapping 11 people inside. Firefighters rescued them; the single staircase collapsed, causing a firefighter to fall through. Post-incident inspection found no fire alarm, no emergency lighting, poor fire doors and no staircase ventilation.

Warren Richard Steele, a corporate officer linked to Nottinghamshire Recycling Limited (NRL) or Park Farming Limited (PFL), breached environmental permits at sites in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, and Kiveton and South Anston in South Yorkshire. Illegal operations maximised financial gain at environmental expense, with waste mismanagement causing fires at Worksop in 2013 and 2014.

David Vincent Berry, linked to Park Farming Limited (PFL), breached environmental permits at sites in Kiveton and South Anston in South Yorkshire. Operated sites illegally for financial gain, ignoring permit conditions on waste storage and processing, resulting in environmental impact.

Daniel Wright was found guilty following an eleven-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court of seven offences including manufacturing a firearm. The defendants had formed a private online chat group to share extreme right-wing views and endorse violence. A partially constructed 3D printed firearm was recovered from the home of Hall and Salmon. Wright was arrested in May 2021 by Counter Terrorism Policing North East.

Craig Berridge pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, possessing a knife in a public place, and affray.

Charlotte Winstanley, a prison officer at HMP Lindholme, admitted misconduct in public office and sending a photograph from inside a prison after beginning a relationship with an inmate. She smuggled items and contraband into the prison.

Cole Lavender and a co-defendant forced entry into a house and set it on fire after a girl's mother falsely claimed on Facebook that her daughter had been kidnapped and was being held there. Lavender was under the influence of alcohol, produced knives including a zombie knife, lunged at two men with the weapon, and started the fire with acid he had armed himself with. The two men inside feared for their lives and escaped by jumping from a first-floor window. Damage was valued at between £90,000 and £100,000.

Arron Bailey took part in large-scale disorder at a Rotherham hotel where asylum seekers were staying. He threw bottles, fence panelling and other missiles at police, attempted to gain access to a police van, added wood to a fire, and was seen launching bricks at the building and stoking a fire inside a hotel window.

Becky Parsons committed a string of shoplifting offences between June 29 and July 20, 2026, stealing goods worth more than £1,700 from shops. She was caught on CCTV breaching the terms of a criminal behaviour order by entering a shop she was banned from on June 29 and July 10, 2026. She pleaded guilty at Barnsley Magistrates' Court on July 22, 2026 to 13 counts of shoplifting and two counts of breaching a criminal behaviour order, and was sentenced to one year and eight months imprisonment with compensation ordered.

Barry Reddish, 52, a registered sex offender from Roughwood Road, Rotherham, was found guilty of three counts of breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). He babysat several children under 16 unsupervised between October 2019 and January 2020, ignoring his SHPO conditions. He was arrested on 30 March and charged shortly after.

Bradley Bennett, 32, of Doncaster, checked into the Holiday Inn Express in Balby under a fake name on 25 January due to paranoia. On 26 January he barricaded his hotel room door with a mattress, set the mattress and other items alight during a drug-induced psychotic episode, shouted for help and jumped from the window. He was arrested nearby. The fire caused £174,000 in damage plus over £50,000 in ongoing losses from closure. He had sought psychiatric help previously and had no prior similar convictions.

Cain Byrne was driving a Volkswagen Golf with cloned registration plates when he struck an 81-year-old man who had dismounted from his bicycle and was crossing the A57 near Todwick, South Yorkshire. The victim was thrown at least 15 feet into the air. Byrne made no attempt to stop and had been inhaling nitrous oxide from a balloon before and after the crash in April.

Alfie Rose had been drinking at a pub for several hours on June 1 2024 in Rotherham before driving his Suzuki Alto at speed along Potter Hill. He lost control and crashed into a wall outside the Crown public house. Police found open alcohol in the driver's footwell. His female passenger suffered a fractured elbow, ankle, foot and ribs, and a punctured lung, spending a week in hospital. Rose admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

During a home visit at his supported living accommodation in Sheffield, Aboubakar Diaby became agitated and prevented two victims from leaving. He produced a six-to-eight-inch knife, pointed it at them, threatened to stab them, held it close to one victim's stomach, and punched the other victim in the face. He pleaded guilty to affray and false imprisonment.

Aaron Jones contacted a child through TikTok and Instagram using usernames that hid his identity. He asked her age, then requested naked images and videos and offered to pay her. The messaging began in May 2025 and escalated in June 2025, when he arranged to meet her, drove her to what he said was a friend's house, and sexually abused her. The defendant, aged 32 and from Barnsley, had previously pleaded guilty to 10 offences including sexual communications with a child and engaging in sexual activity with a child.

Leeson took part in a joint attack on a residential Barnsley street in March 2025. He struck the victim at least three times with an axe while a second attacker stabbed the same man four times. The victim suffered a broken and deformed arm and multiple stab wounds to his chest, abdomen and buttock, requiring surgery. The victim, a former serviceman, said the assault had an enormous impact on him and triggered post-traumatic stress disorder. No reason for the violence was given in court.

Agim Tafa was involved in a cannabis-growing operation across two adjoining houses in Sheffield. Police found 484 cuttings and mature plants in one property and a further 49 plants in the adjoining property, which was connected by a crudely made hole knocked through the wall. He admitted producing cannabis.

Alan Kazim and a co-defendant forced entry into a house and set it on fire after a girl's mother falsely claimed on Facebook that her daughter had been kidnapped and was being held there. Kazim kicked the door, but did not have a knife and was unaware what the co-defendant was armed with. The two men inside feared for their lives and escaped by jumping from a first-floor window. Damage was valued at between £90,000 and £100,000.

Philip Wood took part in violent disorder at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel in Manvers, Rotherham on 4 August 2024. Mobile footage showed him throwing branches and debris at police officers and being part of a group attempting to set items on fire. He was identified after removing his t-shirt to reveal distinctive tattoos including an image of Elvis Presley. He pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

Peter Charles Sanderson, a corporate officer linked to Nottinghamshire Recycling Limited (NRL) or Park Farming Limited (PFL), breached environmental permits at sites in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, and Kiveton and South Anston in South Yorkshire. Repeated breaches despite warnings, including illegal waste storage and blending, leading to environmental harm and multiple fires.

Robert Veza, a South Yorkshire Police officer, began an affair with a vulnerable woman after being allocated her car theft case. In January 2024 he attended her home, touched her knee and kissed her before they were disturbed by her children. He later attended her home for sex over an eight-month period. The sexual contact was consensual, but the prosecution said he deliberately sought out the complainant and took advantage of his position. He was arrested in September 2024 and admitted misconduct in public office.

Ridwan Jama threatened two members of the public in Sheffield city centre with a zombie-style knife. He was chased by police into Ponds Forge swimming pool, where he was detained and a large kitchen knife was recovered.

Nathan Sutherland stalked and threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend. They met on social media in March 2024 and separated when she became pregnant four months later. In July 2025 he threw bottles at her home, entered the house and climbed into bed with her and their child, followed her in his van and threatened to kill her, and was abusive towards a friend who came to help her. The judge described the racially aggravated offending as grossly offensive and cowardly behaviour.