Halton Moor: Six men sentenced for their part in disorder which saw officers pelted with bricks and fireworks

It means a total of 22 people have now been convicted for their involvement in the disorder which took place in the Halton Moor area of Leeds across two nights on November 7 and 8 in 2020.

A huge operation was launched by West Yorkshire Police to bring those involved to justice, after it was found the events were judged to have cost hundreds of thousands of pounds as trouble flared when a yobs targeted a family who had moved into a property on Kendal Drive.

The family’s car was attacked and set on fire, and when police attended the scene, they were hit by a hail of stones which were thrown by a group of around 30 to 40 youths.

The family’s house was also attacked and was later burgled.

Police vehicles were also targeted by the group and a police officer had to be taken to hospital with an injury to the back of the head after being hit by a rock. Police public order units were sent to the scene, and they were repeatedly targeted by missiles thrown by the groups.

A large crowd gathered around the junction of Rathmell Road and Ullswater Crescent the following evening and police vans were again targeted by bricks and missiles. A member of the public’s car was also set on fire.

A total of 29 people were charged, facing charges such as violent disorder, criminal damage and arson but the investigation also identified other offences including assault, assault of an emergency worker, burglary, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and possession of Class A and Class B drugs.

Between January 2021 and August 2023, 13 youths and adults were sentenced at hearings at Leeds Crown Court and Leeds Youth Court, with sentences including youth detention, fines and community orders.

A further six people were sentenced on Friday:

Andrew Allison, aged 18, of Firbank Grove, Halton Moor; William Njie, aged 18, of Potternewton Crescent, Leeds; and Taylor Bulloch, aged 20, of Shelley Crescent, Oulton, are due to be sentenced on November 8 having been convicted of violent disorder.

Leeds District Commander, Chief Superintendent Steve Dodds said: “The ugly scenes witnessed on the streets of Halton Moor over those two nights were truly appalling and caused understandable fear and anxiety in the local community.

“Equally, while it is the role of police officers to face challenging situations, I never underestimate how distressing it will have been for all the officers involved to have been the target of mob violence such as this while working in really difficult circumstances to keep people safe.

“We always treat any incidents of this nature very seriously and immediately launched a robust response, alongside our partner agencies, to support the community and to make sure that those responsible were identified and held to account.

“Painstaking work by detectives over what is now four years since the incidents has resulted in the majority of those involved being brought to justice.

“Although this was significant and serious disorder, it was the result of the opportunistic actions of a minority of local youths and was not a reflection of life in general in Halton Moor, which is an area with a strong identity and a real sense of community spirit.

“We hope these convictions will provide some reassurance to the community and serve as a reminder to others that they will face the consequences if they involve themselves in completely unacceptable incidents of this kind.”

West Yorkshire's Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Alison Lowe OBE added: “As we head toward the bonfire night period, these convictions should serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of becoming involved in such mindless criminal behaviour.

"These individuals are certainly not representative of the majority who live and work in Halton Moor, and we will continue to take a zero tolerance approach to those intent on causing fear and harm across our communities.

"Thank you to everyone involved in the response, from the front-line officers and detectives who have worked relentlessly to bring those responsible to justice, to the support of local residents and leaders.”

Councillor Debra Coupar, Deputy Leader of Leeds City Council said: "What happened in Halton Moor in 2020 was completely unacceptable and I am pleased not only that robust action was taken at the time but that those responsible have now faced justice.

"Halton Moor has a fantastic community spirit and the disorder perpetrated by these individuals is not reflective of the community as whole.  I know that many people will be relieved that justice has been served and the message is clear that this sort of behaviour and criminal activity will not be tolerated in our communities.

“I'd like to thank the Police for their work on this and also local people for their understanding and determination to ensure Halton Moor is not blighted by this incident."