Leeds Crown Court round-up: 11 criminals locked up this week including child rapist and serial shoplifter

It’s been a busy week at Leeds Crown Court, with criminals put behind bars for a number of offences.

By Abbey Maclure

Published 3rd Sep 2023, 16:30 BST

A serial shoplifter dubbed the ‘Lynx thief’ and two thugs who slashed a victim with knives outside Xscape have been jailed.

Leeds Crown Court also heard the case of a child rapist who was finally brought to justice after his victim spotted him on a paedophile hunter page on Facebook 16 years later.

Those locked up in Leeds this week include...

Here are 11 criminals locked up in Leeds this week and their crimes. (Left: Liam Hyde; Top right, Steven Betts; Bottom right, Craig Clayton)

1. Leeds Crown Court round-up

Here are 11 criminals locked up in Leeds this week and their crimes. (Left: Liam Hyde; Top right, Steven Betts; Bottom right, Craig Clayton) Photo: West Yorkshire Police

This child rapist was finally brought to justice after his victim spotted him on a paedophile hunter page on Facebook 16 years later, attempting to meet another young girl. Craig Clayton groomed the 13-year-old in Leeds in 2001, buying her cigarettes and alcohol. The 44-year-old was jailed for six years and three months.

2. Craig Clayton

This child rapist was finally brought to justice after his victim spotted him on a paedophile hunter page on Facebook 16 years later, attempting to meet another young girl. Craig Clayton groomed the 13-year-old in Leeds in 2001, buying her cigarettes and alcohol. The 44-year-old was jailed for six years and three months. Photo: West Yorkshire Police

A serial shoplifter dubbed ‘the Lynx thief’ by retailers over his prolific theft of deodorants. Steven Betts regularly targeted stores in Leeds city centre to steal cans of the deodorant and other aerosols to feed his solvent abuse, and assaulted staff when challenged. He was jailed for 25 weeks and also banned from Leeds city centre for five years.

3. Steven Betts

A serial shoplifter dubbed ‘the Lynx thief’ by retailers over his prolific theft of deodorants. Steven Betts regularly targeted stores in Leeds city centre to steal cans of the deodorant and other aerosols to feed his solvent abuse, and assaulted staff when challenged. He was jailed for 25 weeks and also banned from Leeds city centre for five years. Photo: West Yorkshire Police

The thugs slashed a victim with knives during in a bloody scrap in front of terrified families enjoying an evening out at Xscape in Castleford. Dylan Bleasby and Kian Cooper attacked the man, whom they did not know, after words were exchanged in the car park between two groups. Cooper, pictured bottom, was given 23 months’ jail, with Bleasby, pictured top, given 26 months.

4. Dylan Bleasby and Kian Cooper

The thugs slashed a victim with knives during in a bloody scrap in front of terrified families enjoying an evening out at Xscape in Castleford. Dylan Bleasby and Kian Cooper attacked the man, whom they did not know, after words were exchanged in the car park between two groups. Cooper, pictured bottom, was given 23 months’ jail, with Bleasby, pictured top, given 26 months. Photo: West Yorkshire Police/National World

A vile burglar who was locked up for breaking into commercial premises and defecated on the floor as a “calling card” has had his sentence extended after admitting to a further break-in. Damien Allen Robinson targeted a home in broad daylight and stole valuables, money and a credit card. He was jailed for an extra six months.

5. Damien Allen Robinson

A vile burglar who was locked up for breaking into commercial premises and defecated on the floor as a “calling card” has had his sentence extended after admitting to a further break-in. Damien Allen Robinson targeted a home in broad daylight and stole valuables, money and a credit card. He was jailed for an extra six months. Photo: West Yorkshire Police

A former Leeds prison officer who recruited disillusioned white men to a racist organisation “masquerading” as a sports club. Self-confessed neo-Nazi Ashley Podsiad-Sharp, 42, was found guilty of possessing terrorist material after being caught with a “white supremacist murder manual”. Podsiad-Sharp, who lives in the Barnsley area, was jailed for 13 years.

6. Ashley Podsiad-Sharp

A former Leeds prison officer who recruited disillusioned white men to a racist organisation “masquerading” as a sports club. Self-confessed neo-Nazi Ashley Podsiad-Sharp, 42, was found guilty of possessing terrorist material after being caught with a “white supremacist murder manual”. Podsiad-Sharp, who lives in the Barnsley area, was jailed for 13 years. Photo: Google Maps/National World