Yorkshire court round-up: Cigarette smuggling gang sentenced, hotel attacker jailed and violent burglars locked up
Serious cases heard in courts across Yorkshire have resulted in prison sentences and court orders for offences including fraud, violence and environmental crime.
Cigarette smuggling gang sentenced over £40m fraud
An 11-strong gang who smuggled around 150 million cigarettes into the UK and evaded more than £40m in duty have been sentenced.
HMRC investigators monitored the Bolton-based group between 2017 and 2018, recording deliveries, van swaps and exchanges of boxes linked to the operation.
More than 2.5 million cigarettes and nearly £1m in cash were seized during the investigation.
All 11 men pleaded guilty to their roles, with five receiving immediate prison sentences totalling more than 10 years and six given suspended sentences at Manchester Crown Court.
Among them was Yasir Ali, 39, of Bradford, who was given a 22-month sentence suspended for two years.
Illegal waste site owner ordered to pay £6,000
The owner of an illegal waste site in Wyke has been ordered to pay more than £6,000 after failing to clear the land.
Andrew Leadbeater, 57, pleaded guilty to operating an unauthorised waste site and failing to comply with a notice requiring it to be cleared.
Officers found large amounts of mixed waste, including household rubbish, tyres, oils and construction materials, during visits between 2024 and 2025.
Leadbeater was given a 12-month conditional discharge, ordered to clear the site within two months and pay £6,067 in costs.
Man jailed after hotel attack in Leeds
A man has been jailed for more than five years after carrying out a violent attack on a woman in a Leeds hotel.
Lee Chadbourne, 38, struck the victim with a wine bottle before punching and kicking her, causing serious injuries including damage to her eye.
After the attack he left the hotel, but later handed himself in to police.
Leeds Crown Court heard he also attempted to intimidate the victim into dropping the case.
He pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm and perverting the course of justice and was jailed for five years and three months. A restraining order was also imposed.
Four men jailed after violent attacks and burglaries
Four men have been jailed after a series of violent attacks and burglaries in Hartlepool left victims with serious injuries.
John Robbins, 40, and David Halcrow, 47, attacked a man in his 60s inside a property before stabbing him, leaving him with life-changing injuries.
Robbins was also involved in a separate attack with Alan Metcalfe, 27, and Jake Honour, 21, in which another victim was beaten and robbed, suffering multiple facial fractures.
The group were also linked to further offences including burglary and theft.
Robbins was jailed for nine years with an extended licence period, Metcalfe for five years, and Halcrow and Honour for four years each.