Latest news with #LeedsCrownCourt
BBC News
19-05-2025
- BBC News
Stockton sex offender Daniel Fields jailed at Leeds Crown Court
A man has been jailed for 15 years after being convicted of a string of sex attacks against four women. Daniel Field, 27, targeted three vulnerable victims while living in Huddersfield between 2018 and 2020, West Yorkshire Police was then later linked to previous offences dating back to 2016 in Middlesbrough. Field, of Mount Pleasant Road in Stockton-on-Tees, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Friday after being convicted of 14 charges at a trial in February. His offences includes five counts of rape, three of sexual assault, two of causing a female to engage in sexual activity and four offences of assault by Insp Phil Davies said: "We hope these four brave women can take some comfort from seeing Field jailed for the awful offences he subjected them to."The investigation which led to his conviction was lengthy and complex and would not have been possible without their determination to assist us in building the case to bring this man to justice." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Paedophile who plied schoolgirl, 10, with booze and drugs before grooming her for sex with other men has jail sentence increased to 24 years
A paedophile who plied a 10-year-old schoolgirl with booze and drugs before grooming her to perform sexual acts on his friends has had his jail sentence increased to 24 years. Yusuf Kayat, 54, sexually abused the primary school child, who he met when he was 19 and she was 10, more than 30 years ago between 1989 and 1992. He was known to her as 'Kosh' and would drive her around in his car in Dewsbury and Mirfield, West Yorkshire, and buy her alcohol, cigarettes and cannabis, before forcing her to engage in sexual activity with him and his friends. Kayat was originally jailed to two decades behind bars with a further year on licence for his sickening crimes on February 5. But this was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentencing scheme by Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP. Harrowing evidence revealed Kayat would have sex with the girl in his car and would tell her to perform sexual acts on his friends in a derelict building. At times she would think she was supposed to be having sex with his friends one after the other, only for them to stand around and joke and laugh. Sometimes she would be forced to have sex with multiple men before being bought takeaway food as a reward. Kayat, from Batley, West Yorkshire, had denied the charges but was convicted of 17 offences following a trial at Leeds Crown Court. His offences included unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and indecent assault on a girl under 14. He was also found guilty of aiding and abetting indecent assault on a girl under 16. In a victim impact statement read to the court, Kayat's victim said that since the offending she has experienced constant fear, anxiety, flack backs and panic attacks. The court also heard that the impact on her life had been 'profound and devastating'. Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said: 'Yusuf Kayat's crimes were abhorrent. His grooming of the victim was highly calculated, who was only 10 years old when the abuse first began, before carrying out multiple sexual offences over several years. 'I welcome the court's decision to increase Kayat's sentence. Today my thoughts are with Kayat's victim and her family.' It comes as new data released by government shows that some 159 cases have been sent to the Court of Appeal under the scheme since the start of 2024. At least 99 of these cases have seen the offender's sentence increase. Of these, more than a third - 36 - related to sexual offences, and 16 related to sexual offences against children. At the time of Kayat's original sentencing, Julia McSorley, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS's Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, said he had used the young child for his own sexual gratification and passed her around to others to do the same. 'Not only has he burdened the victim with the traumatic and lasting effects of his offending but by denying what he did to her, he has also forced the victim to relive the awful events she experienced during the trial,' she said. 'The prosecution team, in collaboration with West Yorkshire Police, was able to build a strong case to present to the jury, who found Kayat guilty. 'My thoughts are with the victim of these appalling crimes. The Crown Prosecution Service would like to thank her for the incredible courage she showed in giving evidence, which was instrumental in bringing the offender to justice. 'The CPS remains dedicated to pursuing justice for victims of child sexual abuse and will continue to work tirelessly with law enforcement partners to hold sex offenders accountable - no matter how much time has passed since they committed their crimes.' DCI Oliver Coates of Kirklees District Police, said: 'We welcome the sentencing of Yusuf Kayat for multiple serious sexual offences against a victim who was only 10 years old when he began to abuse her. 'Kayat groomed and then committed some extremely serious sexual offences against the victim for a number of years. 'I want to praise her courage for supporting the police investigation into this man's appalling offences against her, and then working with us and our partners in the CPS to bring him before a jury. 'Thanks to her bravery, this man has now been made to pay for what he did to her and will be in prison for a number of years to come.' He added: 'This case again demonstrates that the passage of time need not be a barrier to justice for victims and for the police and CPS to bring those responsible of such offending before the courts. 'We continue to urge any victims of sexual abuse in Kirklees who may not have made reports to the police, for whatever reason, to contact us.
BBC News
07-05-2025
- BBC News
Huddersfield stabbing: Murder accused appears in court
Murder accused in court over fatal stabbing Ahmad Mamdouh Al Ibrahim died from a single stab wound to his neck A man accused of murdering a 16-year-old boy who was fatally stabbed in Huddersfield has appeared in court. Ahmad Mamdouh Al Ibrahim died in hospital after being stabbed in the neck during an incident in Ramsden Street on 3 April. Alfie Franco, 20, of The Crescent, in Kirkburton, is charged with murdering the teenager and possessing a knife in a public place. During a hearing at Leeds Crown Court his trial date, which was initially set for 2 October, was moved to 6 October.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Uber driver who raped woman walking home is jailed
An off-duty Uber driver who raped a mother as she walked home from a house party has been jailed for 12 years. Daniel Hayelom, 36, attacked his victim after observing her making her way down Dewsbury Road in the Beeston area of Leeds at around 06:00 BST on 22 October 2023. Leeds Crown Court was told the woman was too drunk to consent to sexual activity with Hayelom, who sexually assaulted her before raping her in an alleyway. Sentencing the defendant, Judge Simon Phillips said the woman should have felt able to walk home safely, "without being targeted by a sexual predator". The court heard Hayelom had finished working a shift at 01:00 BST earlier that morning and then went socialising with friends. He then went into the Dewsbury Road area at around 06:00 where he drove around while observing the woman for "five or six minutes". Hayelom's car was seen manoeuvring and turning around so he could keep sight of her. CCTV footage showed the victim was "clearly inebriated" as she made her way down the street and she had briefly paused to sit at a bus stop. Prosecutor Michael Smith said that after leaving his vehicle a short distance away from the area Hayelom approached the woman and said "happy day", before walking into her path and touching her buttocks. The woman walked away and said "no", but the defendant followed her saying he wanted "more", and calling her "sexy". He then sexually assaulted her in full view of the street, before raping her and then walking her the rest of the way home, it was said. The defendant, who first came to the UK from Eritrea in 2011 and had no previous convictions, was found guilty of rape, sexual assault and sexual assault by penetration following a five-day trial last month. The court was told his victim felt unable to leave the house unaccompanied since the attack and had suffered emotional distress and insomnia. Mitigating for Hayelom, Sean Smith said that while the attack "became carefully planned", he had not initially gone to the area to "hunt" a victim. Sentencing the defendant to 12 years in prison, with an additional licence period of four years, Judge Phillips told Hayelom he had been "intent on pursuing" his victim. "You were doing so in a predatory manner and you were intent on securing your own sexual gratification without any concern for her safety or welfare." Det Ch Insp James Entwistle, of West Yorkshire Police, praised Hayelom's victim for "the courage and mental fortitude she has shown during the investigation and the court process that has resulted in his conviction". He added: "We hope she can find some degree of comfort in seeing him held criminally accountable for what he did to her. "Women and girls should be safe to live their lives free from the fear of violence and harassment, and we remain fully committed to working alongside our partner agencies to make the county a safer place." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. HM Courts and Tribunals Service
Daily Mail
26-04-2025
- Daily Mail
Nurse who knocked down and killed mother, 28, while speeding at 60mph and using Snapchat on her phone is jailed for nine years
A young nurse will spend nine years behind bars after she knocked down and killed a 28-year-old mother while speeding and using Snapchat on her phone. Romeesa Ahmed, 27, hit Athira Anilkumar Laly Kumari with her car in Leeds in February 2023 as she rushed home from a night shift - before ploughing into a bus shelter and injuring a man. A court heard that Kumari, a mother-of-one, had arrived in the UK from India just days before her tragic death in search of a better life - and was set to start her degree as a mature student at Leeds-Beckett University. Prosecutor Jessica Strange told Leeds Crown Court Kumari's aspirations were shattered when she was struck by Ahmed - who was travelling at a speed of 60mph in an 40mph zone. Kumari was hurled into the air after being hit and 'somersaulted' to the ground. Emergency services rushed to the scene of the accident, but Kumari died from severe head injuries despite frantic efforts to save her. A man waiting at the bus stop nearby said he heard a bang and saw Ahmed's VW Golf hurtling towards him, but had no time react. He said he saw both of his legs facing the wrong way so knew both had been broken and 'felt the worst pain he had ever experienced', Ms Strange told the court. The 42-year-old required emergency surgery on his legs. He also suffered a fractured elbow and was in hospital for five months. It was also revealed that just months after the tragedy, Ahmed received two driving bans - one in July 2023 and the other in October 2023. Simon Hustler, mitigating, said his client was still a trainee nurse but accepted she was going to jail over what he called a 'ghastly error of judgement on this day'. Sentencing her to nine years behind bars and an 11-year driving ban, Judge Tom Bayliss KC told her: 'You were ignoring the speed limit. You did not see Mrs Kumari because of the speed you were travelling and perhaps distracted by something on your phone. You killed her.' Paying tribute, to Kumari, her family said: 'She was not just a member of our family - she was our foundation, the glue that held us all together.. A loving daughter, a devoted wife, a doting mother and a source of light and inspiration to everyone who knew her. 'Athira was the heart of our lives. Her absence has left a void so deep, so profound, that even words fail to convey the magnitude of our grief.' Detective Constable Adele Murphy-Hartley, said: 'Speeding and using a mobile phone while driving are considered as two of the most common contributory factors to serious injury and fatal road traffic collisions, and this should be a warning to all of what can happen when these factors come into play. 'Ahmed's recklessness has resulted in the loss of a determined woman who came to England to better herself and secure a bright future for her and her family. 'Athira made the difficult decision to leave her young daughter in the care of family in order to do so, and now her young daughter will have to grow up not knowing her mother. 'Her husband has been widowed and her parents have been left to deal with the death of their much-loved daughter.'
