Other defendants jailed during 2026 - and included in our latest Sheffield Crown Court round-up - include those convicted of offence such as assisting an offender, perverting the course of justice and misconduct in public office.
Some of the offenders acknowledged their crimes with guilty pleas; others denied their crimes and were convicted after trials.
The shortest sentence passed down was one of two years and six months, whilst the longest was a life sentence, with a minimum term of 33 years to be spent behind bars before parole can be considered.
1. Recently jailed at Sheffield Crown Court
The nine criminals pictured here are amongst those recently jailed at Sheffield Crown Court during 2026. Top row, left to right: Joshua Stevens; Luke Rushforth and Ethan Hallows. Second row, left to right: Demi Dunford, Osai Williams and Alex Taff. Bottom row, left to right: Andrew Horton; Lewis Clarke and Paul Dowsing | SYP
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2. Joshua Stevens (left) and Luke Rushforth: Jailed for combined total of 11 years
Joshua Stevens (left) and Luke Rushforth were jailed for a combined total of 11 years for a revenge shooting, in which shots were fired at a Rotherham home. Stevens and Rushforth, both wearing homemade balaclavas, approached the victim’s Maltby home shortly before midnight, with Stevens holding the firearm. The complainant was present in the rear bedroom of her home, with the window open, when she heard a male voice saying words to the effect of “it’s this one,” Sheffield Crown Court heard. “She heard a really loud bang, and then the sound of debris falling,” said Andrew Nixon, prosecuting. Mr Nixon said Stevens was the one to fire the sawn-off 12 Gauge AYA Yeoman Shotgun, which hit guttering just above the complainant’s bedroom window. No-one was injured in the incident. Stevens attempted to reload the firearm, but was unsuccessful, a hearing held on January 22, 2026 was told. Jailing Stevens and Rushforth, Judge Anthony Dunne said the complainant had suffered “serious psychological harm” as a result of their actions. Judge Dunne jailed Rushforth for five years, and Stevens for six. He also handed Stevens an extended licence period of two years, bringing his total sentence to one of eight years. | SYP
3. Ethan Hallows: Jailed for life, to serve a minimum of 33 years
Dad-of-two Kevin Pokuta was just 19-years-old when he was fatally shot as he sat in a car on Page Hall Road, Page Hall, on December 12, 2023. On Friday, January 23, 2026, Ethan Hallows became the second person to be sentenced for Kevin’s murder, during a hearing at Sheffield Crown Court. Hallows appeared emotionless as The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, jailed him for life and told him he must spend a minimum of 33 years behind bars - minus the 264 days he has spent on remand - before he can be considered for parole. “This was an act of revenge, but it was perpertrated against completely the wrong people,” Judge Richardson told Hallows, who attended court in a grey tracksuit top and bottoms. Jurors convicted Hallows of Kevin’s murder at the conclusion of a trial at the same court, during which prosecutor Bryan Cox KC argued that 25-year-old Hallows had “made the hit’” on Kevin, mistakenly identifying his car as one that had earlier thwarted an attempt to rob a cannabis grow by colliding with one of those involved in the raid. A group making their way to a drug den they planned to raid were halted in their tracks when an e-bike rider among them was hit by a car. A gun was fired in the aftermath of the collision but the group, intent on revenge, spotted a car they believed to have been involved and Jake Brown - the other man convicted of Kevin’s murder - opened fire. They had identified the wrong target and innocent Kevin paid the price with his life. Judge Richardson continued: “You directed the gunman, and a few seconds later he executed what you had directed. You knew full well he had a gun, and was going to use it. | SYP
4. Paris Askew: Jailed for three years
Dad-of-two Kevin Pokuta was just 19-years-old when he was fatally shot as he sat in a car on Page Hall Road, Page Hall, on December 12, 2023. On Friday, January 23, 2026, Ethan Hallows became the second person to be sentenced for Kevin’s murder, during a hearing at Sheffield Crown Court. Hallows appeared emotionless as The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, jailed him for life and told him he must spend a minimum of 33 years behind bars - minus the 264 days he has spent on remand - before he can be considered for parole. “This was an act of revenge, but it was perpertrated against completely the wrong people,” Judge Richardson told Hallows, who attended court in a grey tracksuit top and bottoms. Jurors convicted Hallows of Kevin’s murder at the conclusion of a trial at the same court, during which prosecutor Bryan Cox KC argued that 25-year-old Hallows had “made the hit’” on Kevin, mistakenly identifying his car as one that had earlier thwarted an attempt to rob a cannabis grow by colliding with one of those involved in the raid. His then-partner Paris Askew, 23, of Griffiths Road, High Green, who was his partner at the time went on trial alongside him, accused of assisting an offender over claims she facilitated Hallows’ flight to Dubai. She was also found guilty, and was jailed for three years during the same hearing. Her time on remand will also get towards her sentence. | SYP