Leeds Crown Court roundup: Three paedophiles, violent thug and cashpoint thief sentenced this week

Leeds Crown Court also heard cases of two men stung by paedophile hunter groups and a man who was jailed for historic child sex offences. Those jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week included:

Jonathan Lacy

A Leeds paedophile has been jailed for historic child sex offences after his victim remembered repressed memories of abuse and confronted him. Jonathan Lacey, 36, of Hollyshaw Lane, Whitkirk, handed himself into police and pleaded guilty to the abuse, which took place in the late 2000s when the victim was a schoolgirl. A statement by the victim, which was read out to the court, said: “I have had anxiety and panic attacks from being alone. I struggle to leave my home without my partner.”

Osacpolor Jimoh

A paedophile who travelled to Leeds armed with condoms and lollipops has been sentenced after he was snared by a paedophile hunter group. Osacpolor Jimoh, 37, of Clovenstone Park, Edinburgh, travelled down from Scotland to meet what he thought was a girl he had met on the internet who had just turned 14. He had sent the ‘girl’ pornographic videos of himself, and became “aggressive” with her, as she would not send him explicit photos of herself.

Amadeusz Klinski

A violent thug has been jailed for a horrific attack on his father, during which he kicked, punched and stabbed him and sent footage of it to his brother. Amadeusz Klinski, 31, also threatened his brother over the phone during the attack, saying that he would kill him “in front of the family” and “burn his house down with the children inside”. The court heard that Klinski has a history of committing violent crimes, having been sentenced previously for possessing a knuckle duster and attacking someone “for no apparent reason”.

Christopher and Jordan Gaunt

A father-and-son duo who masterminded a counterfeit currency operation have been convicted at Leeds Crown Court. Christopher Gaunt, 58, and his son Jordan, 27, produced around £977,000 of forged old style paper bank notes and it is believed they were intended for sale to contacts in the criminal underworld. They were sentenced on December 13 after pleading guilty to manufacturing counterfeit bank notes from a premises in Holmfirth.

David Galloway

A Leeds thief got “more than he bargained for” after attempting to steal a £10 note from a woman at a cashpoint in Leeds city centre. Former landscape gardener David Galloway, 42, grabbed the money from the woman, who put up a fight, grabbing hold of him and shouting “give it back” in front of onlookers. The woman, the court was told, was withdrawing money to donate to her church.

Cole Brooke

A teenager was caught red-handed by police dealing cocaine in Leeds on the night of his 18th birthday. Cole Brooke, 19, was spotted by bouncers in Hirst’s Yard, Leeds, on July 17, 2021, before police arrived and found he was carrying a knife and several wraps of cocaine. After searching his house in Holmbridge, Holmfirth, they found a quantity of cash, as well as a burner phone with texts asking to buy drugs.

Carl Mardel

A 52-year-old paedophile whined “I have ruined my life” when he was arrested for attempting to meet a child in a car park. Carl Mardel, of no fixed abode, used a dating app to message what he thought were two girls aged 12 and 14 earlier this year. But little did Mardel know, these were decoy profiles run by a paedophile hunter group, and he was quickly arrested by West Yorkshire Police officers.

Joseph Burns

A serial harasser from Wakefield has avoided jail, despite breaching a restraining order against an ex partner. Joseph Burns, 35, of Garsdale Grove, was subject to a restraining order against the victim, but continued to message her this year, asking if she still loved him, and whether they should get a hotel room together. The court heard that Burns’s relationship with the victim was “toxic”.