13 criminals who have been locked up in Leeds this week after being sentenced for their crimes

Here are 13 of the criminals who have been jailed this week.

By James Connolly

Published 28th Apr 2024, 16:30 BST

Their crimes include an upsetting case of child cruelty and an incident in which police officers were attacked.

This week, our court round-up also includes a 24-year-old man who caused death by dangerous driving.

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Here are 13 of the criminals who have been sentenced this week -

Mark Sykes, 39, was jailed for three years after admitting charges of outraging public decency, assault, racially-aggravated assault, three counts of assault on an emergency worker, ABH and failing to answer bail. In one incident in February, Sykes sunk his teeth into the arm of an officer at a police station in Leeds, having already lashed out at two officers.

1. Mark Sykes

Mark Sykes, 39, was jailed for three years after admitting charges of outraging public decency, assault, racially-aggravated assault, three counts of assault on an emergency worker, ABH and failing to answer bail. In one incident in February, Sykes sunk his teeth into the arm of an officer at a police station in Leeds, having already lashed out at two officers. Photo: West Yorkshire Police

James Reynolds, 31, of Ossett, was jailed for 52 months after admitting three counts of dealing in class A drugs, and being concerned in the production of class B drugs, cannabis. He was caught with an array of drugs worth more than £32,000 at a house in Allerton Bywater in January of last year, and was told by a judge this week that his claim they were for personal use was "laughable".

2. James Reynolds

James Reynolds, 31, of Ossett, was jailed for 52 months after admitting three counts of dealing in class A drugs, and being concerned in the production of class B drugs, cannabis. He was caught with an array of drugs worth more than £32,000 at a house in Allerton Bywater in January of last year, and was told by a judge this week that his claim they were for personal use was "laughable". Photo: West Yorkshire Police

3. Robert Burke

Robert Burke, 60, of Nowell Terrace, Harehills, was jailed for three years, given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and put on the sex offender register for 10 years, after admitting charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to arrange a child sex offence and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act. He tried to groom a teenage girl online in 2022, asking her for photos of her genitals, sending pictures of his own and making vile sexual suggestions. He did not know the profile had been set up by a paedophile hunter group. Photo: West Yorkshire Police

Mohammed Sarwar, 39, a steel fabricator from Dubai who had a work permit for the UK, was jailed for 16 months after admitting attempted sexual communication with a child and causing a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity and attempting to meet a child following grooming. In an incident in December, he had planned to check into the Queen's Hotel with a 13-year-old girl but was confronted by a paedophile hunter group when he arrived in Leeds.

4. Mohammed Sarwar

Mohammed Sarwar, 39, a steel fabricator from Dubai who had a work permit for the UK, was jailed for 16 months after admitting attempted sexual communication with a child and causing a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity and attempting to meet a child following grooming. In an incident in December, he had planned to check into the Queen's Hotel with a 13-year-old girl but was confronted by a paedophile hunter group when he arrived in Leeds. Photo: Google/Predator Exposure

Mohammed Umer Abid, 24, of Montagu Avenue, Roundhay, was jailed for eight years after a three-day trial which saw him found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving, and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was travelling at twice the speed limit in an incident in 2020 when he smashed into a car in Oakwood, killing Yousaf Razzaq and seriously injuring his wife.

5. Mohammed Umer Abid

Mohammed Umer Abid, 24, of Montagu Avenue, Roundhay, was jailed for eight years after a three-day trial which saw him found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving, and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was travelling at twice the speed limit in an incident in 2020 when he smashed into a car in Oakwood, killing Yousaf Razzaq and seriously injuring his wife. Photo: West Yorkshire Police/Google

Emily Hedigan, 21, of Broadlea Grove, Bramley, was jailed for 54 months, will remain on the sex offender register for life and was given a life-long sexual harm prevention order. It came after she pleaded guilty to three counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, one of sexual assault on a child, taking indecent photos, making indecent photos, distributing an indecent photo, and possession of cocaine. She filmed herself sexually abusing a young boy after being bribed by a drug dealer to send him the images in lieu of payment for debt.

6. Emily Hedigan

Emily Hedigan, 21, of Broadlea Grove, Bramley, was jailed for 54 months, will remain on the sex offender register for life and was given a life-long sexual harm prevention order. It came after she pleaded guilty to three counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, one of sexual assault on a child, taking indecent photos, making indecent photos, distributing an indecent photo, and possession of cocaine. She filmed herself sexually abusing a young boy after being bribed by a drug dealer to send him the images in lieu of payment for debt. Photo: West Yorkshire Police/National World