Bradford Crown Court: Here's who was jailed this week

A DANGEROUS child abuser has been jailed for eight years after a judge labelled him ‘an opportunistic sexual predator’ who posed a high risk of serious harm to the public.

Rizwan Hussain must serve two-thirds of the prison sentence behind bars before spending four years on extended licence.

Hussain, 44, of Daisy Fields, Manningham, Bradford, was convicted by a jury of committing a sex act on a teenage boy and asking an underage girl to join in. Bradford Crown Court heard that the children were complete strangers to him.

He ‘engaged’ with the boy in the street at night when the child was drunk. Hussain gave him £10 and then sexually abused him.

He asked the girl if she wanted to join in, the court was told.

Hussain left the scene but was traced by DNA evidence.

Gerald Hendron, prosecuting, said Hussain was found guilty after a trial of sexual activity with a child, inciting sexual activity with a child and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

In 2014, he was convicted of two offences of exposure at Bradford’s Richard Dunn Sports Centre. He went into a private changing area where there were school pupils. He was wearing just a towel and twice exposed himself to a female member of staff.

The police applied to make a new Sexual Harm Prevention Order after Hussain had repeatedly driven past a young female while making a lewd suggestion.

He then exposed himself on a separate occasion and was arrested on suspicion of raping an underage girl and then for suspected child abduction.

The magistrates made the five-year SHPO prohibiting contact with young females.

The abused boy said in his victim impact statement that he could get deeply stressed since the assault. His schoolwork had been affected and he got trauma flashbacks.

The girl said she struggled to sleep and lay awake for hours. She had difficulty concentrating at school and rarely went out.

David Hall said in mitigation that disgrace would fall upon Hussain and he had let his family down.

His behaviour was erratic and opportunistic rather than sustained. There was no coercion and no physical contact with the girl.

Hussain was well thought of at work and character references spoke highly of him.

Judge Jonathan Rose said Hussain had engaged in past inappropriate sexual behaviour, including exposing himself at the sports centre.

The police applied for a further Sexual Harm Prevention Order after further allegations were made against him. None resulted in a conviction but the court could take these ‘very real concerns’ into account.

“They demonstrate that over a period of time you had a repeated willingness to engage in inappropriate sexual behaviour,” Judge Rose said.

“I simply do not accept that you have shown any remorse whatsoever,” he continued.

Hussain’s escalating sexual offending meant that he posed a serious risk to children and other members of the public.

He must sign on the sex offender register for the rest of his life and a restraining order bans him from having any contact with his child victims.

A WOMAN was jailed for 18 months for forcibly biting a PCSO in Bradford City Park after being caught drinking in public in breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order. 

Bridget Mtola, 32, of Douglas Towers, Radwell Drive, Bradford, had 12 convictions for 38 offences, including a string of assaults on emergency workers. 

Mtola, a native of Cape Town, South Africa, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and breaching the Criminal Behaviour Order by having a bottle of alcohol in City Park. 

Prosecutor Ian Howard told Bradford Crown Court that two PCSOs were on patrol in the city centre at about 10pm on May 31 when a member of the public complained to them about Mtola’s behaviour. 

She had a bottle of alcohol and became defensive and aggressive, walking off dropping it. 

When the female officer put a hand on her arm to stop her, Mtola bit it causing a wound that needed hospital treatment. 

Mr Howard said the back of the officer’s hand was bleeding, bruised and swollen. 

After Mtola was arrested, she spat on the floor in the holding cell at the police station and when told to stop, she urinated, the court was told. 

The injured PCSO was treated at Bradford Royal Infirmary and given a tetanus injection and antibiotics. She described the bite as excruciatingly painful. 

In her victim impact statement, she said that the painful and unsightly injury had interrupted her enjoyment of a holiday with her mother.  

Nicola Hoskins said in mitigation that Mtola had been in custody since June 2.  

She conceded that it was a nasty bite but said her client was tackling her issues while on remand in HMP New Hall. She wanted to write a letter of apology to the officer. 

Recorder Tony Watkin said the PCSO had helped Mtola in the past and that was a particularly sad aspect of the attack. 

The injury meant she had to go to hospital and it spoilt her enjoyment of her holiday. Her hand was left throbbing from the forceful bite. 

Mtola made no comment when questioned and refused to watch the bodyworn footage of the incident. 

She had convictions for violence and for assaults on emergency workers in 2020 and 2021. 

Recorder Watkin said she was actively mentoring others in prison and taking educational courses. But he didn’t think there wasn’t a realistic prospect of rehabilitation at the moment. 

A DOMESTIC abuser was jailed for 25 months for threatening a former partner with a bread knife and punching her in the face. 

Gosal Singh had failed to heed previous warnings about his use of violence in relationships, the judge locking him up said. 

Singh, 53, of Gurbax Court, Bradford Moor, Bradford, pleaded guilty to threatening with a bladed article and assault by beating on May 14. 

He also admitted harassing the woman with persistent unwanted contact and attending at her address without her consent. 

Prosecutor Philip Adams said the victim ended her relationship with Singh because of his drinking and controlling behaviour. 

He went to her flat at 7pm to try to persuade her to take him back. When she refused, he held a bread knife to her head and threatened to stick it into her. 

She pushed him away, injuring her hand and locked herself in the bathroom. But Singh got in and punched her in the face causing a swollen lip. 

He left but returned to shout abuse outside, Bradford Crown Court heard. 

He was arrested when the police found him drunk nearby. 

Mr Adams said the harassment offence began two weeks before that. 

Singh shouted threats outside the address, saying he would slit her throat. 

She blocked his number but he used a different one and left 22 messages that were abusive and threatening. He lost his temper and was screaming uncontrollably down the phone. 

Singh was bailed with conditions not to contact the woman but he traced her to a new address, took possession of her keys and refused to leave. She fled after an argument and he was arrested again. 

The victim had been left traumatised and unable to sleep. She had given up her job and moved addresses to avoid Singh. Her life had been turned upside down, she stated. 

Singh had four previous convictions for ten offences, including assaults. 

Giles Grant said in mitigation that his course of conduct was largely affected by his use of alcohol. He was able to think more clearly while on remand in HMP Leeds. He had attained the status of a wing cleaner and was attending the gym and educational courses. 

He was sorry for what he had done and had caring responsibilities for his mother. 

Recorder Tahir Khan KC said Singh had a history of offending against two former partners. It was violence in a domestic context that was a serious aggravating factor. 

He attended at the woman’s flat, threatened her with a bread knife by putting it to her head and then punched her in the face. 

Using a knife or threatening with one was something he had done to an ex-partner. 

“You have singularly failed to heed the warnings you have received about violence in relationships,” Recorder Khan said. 

Singh had then sent numerous abusive messages that caused a great deal of stress and anxiety. 

“Your attentions were mostly unwanted and the way that you behaved towards her left her in fear and traumatised by the abuse that you perpetrated against her,” the recorder said. 

An indefinite restraining order prohibits Singh from contacting the woman by any means. 

A TEENAGER was locked up for three years for a catalogue of violence against his former partner. 

Kye Botting, 19, throttled her with a dog lead, wounded her with a Rambo-style knife, punched, kicked and slapped her during their ‘toxic car crash’ of a relationship, Bradford Crown Court heard. 

Botting, whose address was given as HMP Doncaster, lied to the older woman saying he was 19 when he was still a youth when they got together, Christopher Moran, prosecuting, said. 

He was initially caring and attentive but things went badly wrong. He was verbally and physically abusive and threatened her with a small knife at her throat. 

Mr Moran said that when the couple lived together in central Bradford, Botting would lose his temper and punch, slap and torment her. 

They moved home but the abuse continued. He was nasty and vindictive and continued to assault her, hitting her on the head with a picture frame, threatening her with a screwdriver and attempting to throttle her. 

They moved to a succession of addresses in Blackpool where the violence continued.  

Botting punched, kicked and stamped on her, pulled a dog lead tightly round her neck and held her head under water. 

She came back to Bradford and took out a non-molestation order but he found out where she lived and went round to intimidate her. He threatened to kill her if he got locked up and threw keys at her cutting her lip. 

When the police went to her home, they saw she had facial injuries and her property was damaged. 

When Botting was arrested, he refused to answer questions. He was remanded into custody but still managed to send her two letters entreating her to phone him. 

He pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour, unlawful wounding, intentional strangulation, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and three breaches of the non-molestation order. 

The court heard that the woman now had nightmares. She was anxious and vulnerable and the pain and fear had continued after Botting was locked up.  

She had difficulty walking because of her injuries, suffered regular headaches and could no longer work, although she had been ambitious. 

Vincent Blake-Barnard said in mitigation said there was ‘a massive age gap’ between Botting and his victim. He was a youth and ill-equipped to deal with the ‘toxic car crash’ that the relationship became. 

Recorder Tahir Khan KC said there was violence, strangulation and assault over a significant period of time. 

Botting was still very young but only an immediate sentence of custody was appropriate for the ‘catalogue of violence.’ 

He was sentenced to a total of three years custody in a young offender institution. 

An indefinite restraining order bans him from having any contact with the woman. 

A DRUNKEN ‘monster’ has been jailed for 14 years for violent attacks and sexual assaults involving two female victims in Bradford decades ago.

Given his age and ill-health, David Gillespie, 71, would never be released from prison, his barrister told Bradford Crown Court.

Gillespie, of Convent Walk, Sheffield, was sentenced for buggery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and three offences of indecent assault.

He had 19 previous convictions for 46 offences that included violent sexual offences against other women. The court heard that he had struck a woman with a bottle before raping her at knifepoint, punched an ex-partner in the face and headbutted another female victim.

Prosecutor David McGonigal said Gillespie pleaded guilty to the Bradford offences on the third day of his trial after the two female complainants had given evidence in court and been cross-examined.

Katy Rafter, Gillespie’s barrister, said he owned up just before the Crown closed its case after reflecting on what he had heard in court. He described himself as ‘a monster’ when in drink. He had been addicted to alcohol and gambling decades ago and was now deeply ashamed.

Gillespie was on remand in HMP Doncaster and would never be released from jail given the sentence that would be passed, Miss Rafter said. He was now 71 and in poor health.

Recorder Simon Kealey KC said Gillespie had violently attacked one woman in drink, punching and kicking her, putting a wire around her neck and beating her with a slipper. She was left battered and bruised.

The court heard of an incident where Gillespie had sexually abused a victim on one occasion, also punching her so hard that she fell on to a table and shards of glass became embedded in her.

He was arrested and interviewed in 2020 and denied any wrongdoing until part-way through the trial.

Recorder Kealey said Gillespie had caused long-lasting and severe damage and forced the two women to give evidence in court.

He was older now and in ill-health and there had been a considerable gap in his offending in his later years. But he had confessed to being ‘a monster in drink’ at the time.

Gillespie will serve up to two-thirds of the 14 years before being assessed for parole.

He must register as a sex offender for life and an indefinite restraining order prohibits him from approaching or having any communication with his victims.