The seven criminals pictured here have all been sent to begin prison sentences during recent hearings held at Sheffield Crown Court.
Sheffield judges have sent each of the defendants pictured here to begin sentences at His Majesty's Pleasure.
The prison terms passed down range from three years to seven years.
1. Jailed at Sheffield Crown Court
Top row, left to right: Sophie Massey and Shakeen Christian. Middle row, left to right: Simon Swales; Syed Hussain and Mohammed Qasim. Bottom row: Richard Dawson and Russell Marsden
2. Shakeen Christian, Sophie Massey: Drug dealing couple found with £100k of heroin during raid of Sheffield home
Officers executed a raid at the property of Shakeen Christian and Sophie Massey on Dagnam Crescent, Manor Top, Sheffield, on February 8, 2024, a South Yorkshire Police (SYP) spokesperson said. The SYP spokesperson continued continued: “During the warrant, officers found almost 1kg of heroin, worth an estimated street value of £100,000, 156 grams of cocaine with a street value between £6,000 and £15,600 and 1kg of cannabis, worth up to £5,000. “Following the finds 28-year-old Christian and Massey, aged 29, were arrested. “The heroin recovered during the warrant had been cut with various synthetic opioids, which are stronger than heroin and are even more dangerous when taken by users who believe they are taking heroin. “When users don’t know what is mixed with the drugs, they are taking there is a greater risk of overdose.” Drug paraphernalia including weighing scales, snap bags, and a heat sealer, as well as mobile phones, and more than £600 cash were also taken from the property. During a hearing held at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday, April 26, 2024, Christian was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment, while Massey was given three years.
3. Simon Swales: 'Venomous' Barnsley man made false paedophile claims, causing victims to fear vigilante violence
A Barnsley man has been jailed after falsely claiming three people were ‘paedophiles,’ as part of a persistent social media campaign, causing them to fear that ‘vigilante violence’ would be carried out against them and their families. Defendant Simon Swales made the false claims concerning paedophilia and child abuse against three individuals over a 13-month period. The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, told Swales: “You asserted that three separate people were, in effect, paedophiles or involved in child abuse, or were related or friendly to such people. Each one has been very badly affected by these allegations, which were made by you in both private and public posts on social media.” “There were real fears of vigilante violence because of being erroneously branded child abusers. It’s an exceptionally serious allegation to make against an individual, to describe them as a paedophile or child abuser." During a hearing held on April 26, 2024, Judge Richardson jailed Swales for three years and granted restraining orders without limit of time, prohibiting Swales from contacted the three complainants.
4. Syed Hussain: Jailed Sheffield drug smuggler was 'fitness influencer' flogging $127 per month fitness programs
The 38-year-old Sheffield man convicted of attempting to smuggle £9,000 worth of heroin into Britain is a social media influencer with nearly 100,000 followers, The Star discovered. Following an extensive police investigation, Syed Hussain, aged 38, of Greenhill Main Road, was forensically linked to packages and envelopes used to import drugs from Pakistan. The packages, which contained heroin, were bound for three addresses in Sheffield but were detected and intercepted at the Post Seizure Unit in Berkshire in February 2019. Hussain was arrested in December 2020 and denied all the charges against him throughout the investigation. However, on April 19, he was found guilty of concealing a Class A drug with intent to evade prohibition on importing. The verdict came after a four-day trial at Sheffield Crown Court. He was sentenced to seven years in prison.