Leeds Crown Court Round-Up: Criminals who have faced justice this week

A pervert who gave his genitals a pet name, another who attempted to rape a young boy, and a driver who was travelling so fast in 30mph built-up residential areas that a police helicopter was needed to keep up with him. All are starting life behind bars this week.

Philip Lane

Warped weirdo Lane thought he was talking to a young girl online but was in fact a decoy profile uploaded by a paedophile hunter group. He gave his genitals the name ‘Sid’ and told the supposed youngster that he wanted to put him inside of her.

The 56-year-old from Featherstone sent a photo of his genitals and said he would use a condom so she would not get pregnant. He was then confronted by a hunter group at this home address where it was livestreamed over the internet.

The judge jailed him for four years after it was disclosed that Lane had previous similar convictions.

Kristian Annus

The “dangerous” 29-year-old from Wakefield was given a jail term of 10 years and six months after he pleaded guilty to attempting to rape a young boy. He was also handed a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), which will place restrictions on his activity following any release from prison, and he will remain on the sex offender register for life.

PC Jay Laughton later said: “Annus is without doubt a dangerous sexual predator and we welcome his conviction and sentencing. He took advantage of his young victim in the most appalling way and subjected him to what has clearly been a dreadful offence.”

Ben Swallow

Cocaine and cannabis-taking driver Swallow reached speeds of more than 90mph in built-up areas in a stolen VW Golf when police tried to stop. A police helicopter had to be deployed to keep up with him during the 18-minute chase.

They were eventually able to bring him to a stop using a boxing-in tactic with patrol cars, then smashed the windows to drag him out. The 26-year-old, who had no driving licence and is of no fixed address, was given an 18-month jail sentence after admitting dangerous driving and a string of other offences.

Michael Cavanagh

The 69-year-old was charged with four counts of sexual offences including rape, indecent assault of a child and rape of a child from decades ago following an investigation by police in Leeds. His two victims both came forward at separate times, but Cavanagh continued to deny the offences. He was found guilty after a trial.

Cavanagh, of Doncaster Road, Barnsley, was given a 25-year jail sentence. Speaking afterwards Detective Constable Helen McDonnell of Leeds District Safeguarding Unit, said: “For 30 years, his two victims have had to live with the horrific abuse inflicted upon them by this man.”

David Poulson, Jordan Hiles and Joe Haigh

The three were all jailed this week for carrying out “Hanoi” burglaries in which they broke into people’s homes to find their car keys and steal the vehicles from their driveways. They were all involved in some or all of the eight break-ins in 2020 that happened in the Pontefract area.

They were caught after bank cards also stolen in the raids were used in service stations by Poulson’s wife, Kimberley Poulson, and she was seen clearly on CCTV. David Poulson, 44, was jailed for four years and 10 months. Haigh, 36, denied the offences but was found guilty after a trial. He was jailed for seven years. Hiles, 25, was jailed for 18 months. Kimberley Poulson, 47, was given a suspended sentence for admitting charges of fraud by false representation.

Darren McGuinness

The former engineering lecturer admitted harassment after he told a female police officer over Facebook that he had hired a hitman to kill her. The officer had been involved in arresting him for an unrelated matter and verbally abused as he was taken into custody. But after the 49-year-old from Middleton had been released, he then began sending the officer messages, telling her he knows where her family live.

He was given an eight-month sentence, suspended for 24 months, a three-month electronic tag curfew, 25 rehabilitation days and a 10-year restraining order to keep him away from the police officer.

Steven Oxley

Paedophile Oxley fled Britain and was on the run for five years shortly after he was convicted of downloading child abuse images. Despite being given a suspended sentence, the 33-year-old from Horbury fled to France on a ferry without informing the authorities, putting him in breach of the notification requirements for signing the sex offender register.

He was eventually arrested when he landed at Stanstead Airport this year. He said he left he country after being shunned by friends following his conviction. The judge jailed him for 12 months this week.

Hashir Khan

Drug dealer Khan used an unsuspecting taxi driver to ferry him around Beeston, until the driver fled with the cocaine still in his car. The cabbie became suspicious after 18-year-old directed him to certain stop-off points, rather than providing him with a destination. A package was dropped through the window of the car at one point. When Khan briefly got out at another quick stop, the taxi drove off and the police were called. The package contained 64 grammes of cocaine.

Rather than being jailed, Khan was given a hospital order because of a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. He will be detained until he is deemed well enough to be released.