Criminals locked up in Leeds in November including killer and child rapist

As the months roll on, so do the wheels of justice across Leeds as more criminals[1] enter the docks. Some leave the court[2] the same way they came in - through the security doors - but others are taken away in a van taking them to custody to begin their sentences. November has been another busy month, with some of the region's most dangerous criminals locked up at the courts in Leeds.

The month saw sentences passed for a Leeds mum who was jailed for cruelty to a child after she continued a relationship with a man her daughter said had sexually abused her and Cosmin Burcuta who raped a sex worker on her birthday after she asked him to remove his shoes. We've rounded up a list of people locked up at Leeds Crown Court[3] and Leeds Magistrates' Court[4] in November.

James Smith

Violent brute Smith punched his girlfriend "around ten times" and called her lazy after she asked him to look after their children while she was sick.

The woman was on her phone to her friend at the time as Smith began to question her and call her a "fat s***," "lazy" and "damaged goods." He then turned violent. Smith was jailed for two years and made the subject of a ten-year restraining order at Leeds Crown Court in November. Read the full story here.[6]

Juan Borda-Fernandez

Aldi worker Borda-Fernandez was jailed for a year in November after a court heard he had breached his sexual harm prevention order within months of it being made by playing a virtual reality game in which his character had sex with a child character.

Read the full story here.[7]

Leeds mum

A Leeds mum was jailed for three-and-a-half-years after a court heard she continued her relationship with a man her daughter had said had sexually abused her. The man then went on to commit sexual offences - including rape - against her young son. She was charged with cruelty to a child for continuing the relationship - even after social services had warned her the man was a registered sex offender.

Read the full story here.[8]

Kayden Willie

Willie, now 20, was just a teenager when he held a fake gun to his girlfriend's head and told her if he "couldn't have her, no one else could." He told his former partner that he was to give her the GBP2,000 that he owed her back, and she got into his car earlier this year. Leeds Crown Court[9] heard that he drove the woman around, held the imitation firearm to her head before taking her to a friend's to dispose of it and then back to where he picked her up. He was jailed for 26 months.

Read the full story here.[10]

Roland Forsdick

Drugs courier Forsdick was caught transporting a pink suitcase filled with cannabis to Scotland by police. He was jailed for 18 months after his car was stopped on the A1 travelling from Nottinghamshire to Glasgow. A court[11] was told that the potential sale amount of the cannabis was up to GBP120,000 - with 9kg of it being seized from the car.

Read the full story here.[12]

Craig Meredith

Evil Meredith was jailed after being found guilty of 38 offences, including rape, sexual assault by penetration, sexual activity in the presence of a child and sexual touching. He began offending when he was just 14 in 1987 and continued until 2019 when he raped a victim under the plot of a "paranormal activity" which had possessed her. He was made the subject of an extended 33-year sentence made up of 30 years in custody and a three-year extended licence period.

Read the full story here.[13]

Kaiden Williams

Killer William plunged a zombie knife into Peter Wass' chest during a confrontation on Hamilton Avenue in March this year. A court heard Mr Wass was part of a group "hunting" Williams in two vehicles looking to settle a dispute which was probably over money before he was stabbed. Williams claimed he was acting in self defence.

He was made the subject of a 14-year extended sentence made up of nine years in custody and five years extended licence. Read the full story here.[14]

Stephen Rayner, Cheri-Anne Rayner, Liam Harrington, Megan Buddon, Stephen Gibson and Darren Hunter

The Leeds gang were jailed in November for their parts in a plot which saw around GBP1.59 billion worth of cocaine almost distributed around the UK after it was smuggled in using boxes of frozen chicken.

West Yorkshire Police[15] said the drugs were hidden in pallets of frozen chicken and taken from the Netherlands between September 2021 and December 2022 and came to light following an investigation. Officers from the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit seized 311 kilos of cocaine, estimated to be worth GBP31 million and 35 kilos, around GBP7 million of crystal meth from addresses in Leeds and Dewsbury. The force said further enquiries led to the discovery that cocaine had been brought into the county hidden in pallets of frozen chicken imported to the UK.

318 pallets of chicken were imported, inside was an estimated 15.9 tons of the class A drug with an estimated value of GBP1.59 billion. Read the full story here.[16]

Joshua Hague and Wade Taylor

Leeds Festival dealers Hague and Taylor were sentenced to 45 months in a Young Offenders' Institution after they were caught selling drugs. They were seen among a large group within a campsite and attempted to run off when approached by security and police.

They were detained nearby and found in possession of controlled drugs. Cash was also recovered, and further drugs were found in their tents. The value of the drugs recovered from them was estimated at GBP32,270, based on the increased street value of drugs at the festival.

Read the full story here.[17]

Aleem Hussain

Hussain was put back behind bars after he breached a restraining order by breaking into his parents' home and punching his dad while he was praying. He claimed to have not known the restraining order - which prohibited him from going to the address - was in place, but a judge rejected this and jailed him for 13 months. Read the full story here.[18]

Johnathan Harris

Evil Harris batterd a three-year-old boy and left him with injuries similar to those suffered in a high-speed crash.

The tot was left with more than 60 bruises, fractured ribs and skull, and injuries to his kidney in the horrific and violent attack. Harris was made the subject of an extended sentence of 14-and-a-half years made up of 10-and-a-half years in custody and an extended licence period of four years. Read the full story here.[19]

Cosmin Burcuta

Sick Burcuta raped a sex worker on her birthday and violently assaulted her.

He had been a regular client of the woman without issue but on the day she asked him to take his shoes off and he refused before turning violent. The woman said he could have his money back before Burcuta violently raped her. He was jailed for seven years and six months and made the subject of a restraining order until further order.

Read the full story here.[20]

Ryan Maskill

Evil Maskill claimed he had been attacked to get into his ex-partner's house before he launched a horrific and violent attack on her. During their relationship, he told the woman what to wear, not to wear make-up and did not like her inviting her friends over, a court heard. On the day of the attack he punched and strangled her before pushing her down the stairs.

Maskill was jailed for 27 months. Read the full story here.[21] LeedsLive has launched a WhatsApp community and anyone who joins will get the latest breaking news and top stories sent direct to their phone.

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References

1. ^ criminals (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
2. ^ court (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
3. ^ Leeds Crown Court (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
4. ^ Leeds Magistrates' Court (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
5. ^ Tragedy as man in his 20s dies in Leeds with police probe underway (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
6. ^ Read the full story here. (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
7. ^ Read the full story here. (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
8. ^ Read the full story here. (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
9. ^ Leeds Crown Court (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
10. ^ Read the full story here. (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
11. ^ court (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
12. ^ Read the full story here. (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
13. ^ Read the full story here. (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
14. ^ Read the full story here. (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
15. ^ West Yorkshire Police (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
16. ^ Read the full story here. (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
17. ^ Read the full story here. (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
18. ^ Read the full story here. (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
19. ^ Read the full story here. (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
20. ^ Read the full story here. (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
21. ^ Read the full story here. (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
22. ^ here (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
23. ^ Read our privacy notice here (www.reachplc.com)