Judges presiding over cases at Sheffield Crown Court this week have sent defendants to begin prison sentences for offences ranging from burglary to non-fatal strangulation.
Jeffcock, formerly of Northgate, Barnsley, assaulted his victim at an address in Barnsley, punching her in the face and strangling her for a prolonged period of time, and has been sentenced to three years’ custody.
5. Luke Pryor: Sheffield "predator" jailed after he is snared by paedophile hunter group
Luke Pryor, formerly of Deerlands Avenue, Parson Cross, Sheffield, was originally convicted in 2020 for three counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and for three counts of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, according to a Sheffield Crown Court hearing.
Prosecuting barrister Amy Earnshaw told the hearing on September 6 how 26-year-old Pryor was given a community order but in June, this year, he struck up a sexual online conversation with a decoy profile of a 13-year-old girl which had been set up by a paedophile hunter group called Defending the Innocent.
Judge Peter Kelson QC told Pryor: “You have shown yourself to be a predator. A person who wishes to prey upon children. You have been given a chance of a non-custodial sentence and you have spurned that chance.”
Ms Earnshaw explained Pryor began communicating sexually with the decoy on WhatsApp in June and discussed kissing, cuddling, and undressing her.
Pryor sent four images of himself including three of him wearing nothing but a towel.
Ms Earnshaw said a further decoy contact was deployed by the paedophile hunter group and a meeting was arranged at Deerlands Avenue where the group attended and alerted the police.
Pryor pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching a previously Sexual Harm Prevention Order after possessing two phones capable of internet connection and by contacting someone online who was believed to be a child, and he also admitted attempting to sexually communicate with a child.
Judge Kelson sentenced Pryor to two years of custody and the defendant was made subject to a restrictive Sexual Harm Prevention Order to run alongside his Sex Offender Register monitoring for 10 years. Photo: SYP
6. Lee Wragg: Man jailed for breaking into and stealing from Sheffield community building
Lee Wragg, 47, of no fixed address, appeared before Sheffield Crown Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to burglary this week.
Wragg was captured on CCTV entering The Zest Community Centre in Upperthorpe via a side door, on Wednesday August 31 at around 5.50am.
Once inside the property, the footage showed him causing damage to a coffee machine, before taking cash from within it and fleeing the scene.
Earlier in the week, officers had also received reports of a break-in at the nearby Aldi on Flora Street, in which a number of charity donation tins and a quantity of alcohol had been stolen.
Wragg admitted both offences, and was subsequently charged with two counts of burglary other than dwelling with intent to steal. He was remanded to Sheffield Crown Court on September 1 where he was sentenced to four months in jail. Photo: SYP
7. Martyn Johnson: Jail for man who attacked and harassed woman despite restraining order
Martyn Johnson, aged 37, was convicted in December 2021 for assault occasioning actual bodily harm against the woman, and was given a suspended custodial sentence with conditions not to contact her again.
But despite the order, from February 2022, less than three months after his conviction, Johnson began contacting the woman again on withheld phone numbers, demanding to know where she was, threatening her and turning up to places where she was – leaving her in constant fear for her safety.
In June, Johnson violently assaulted the woman, leaving her with head injuries.
He was charged with assault by beating, breach of a restraining order by harassment and causing actual bodily harm.Following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court, Johnson, of High Street, Thurnscoe, Barnsley, was found guilty of all three offences.On Tuesday, August 30, he was sentenced to three years in prison, and given a further restraining order preventing him from contacting the woman or going within 100 metres of her address. Photo: syp
8. Lee Jeffcock: ‘Frightening’ attack on woman leads to Sheffield’s first jail term under ‘non fatal strangulation’ law
Lee Jeffcock was sentenced to three years in prison for the attack on September 2, after South Yorkshire Police took the case to court under laws against ‘non-fatal strangulation’, which were brought by parliament last year.
Jeffcock assaulted his victim at an address in Barnsley, punching her in the face and strangling her for a prolonged period of time, the court was told.
But she was able to get away from Jeffcock and fled to a neighbour’s house, from where she was able to call for the police. Officers arrived and then traced Jeffcock to the Pogmoor area of the town, where he was then arrested.
Jeffcock, who was formerly of Northgate, Barnsley, appeared before a judge at Sheffield Crown Court today, Friday September 2, where he was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one count of non-fatal strangulation. Photo: syp