Leeds man who murdered 12-year-old boy is captured in South America

A Leeds man wanted by police after murdering a 12-year-old boy has been caught in Colombia.

Alistair Weeks, aged 36, previously from Armley in Leeds, is yet to serve a 20-year sentence for the murder of 12-year-old Danny Gubbels in the Dutch city of Breda in 2010.

-> Mystery of unknown woman found dead and severely decomposed - is she from Leeds?He was sentenced on appeal to 20 years in prison in 2015 but was not present for the verdict. A three year man hunt then started culminating in his arrest on the 15th June 2018, West Yorkshire Police announced today.

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It is believed he had been in Colombia since then and he was travelling from Bogota to Medelin when he arrested. The Dutch authorities will be asking their counterparts in Colombia for his extradition.

As Weekes was originally from Leeds, West Yorkshire Police, in partnership with the National Crime Agency (NCA) helped their Dutch and South American colleagues to bring Weekes to justice.

DCI Carl Galvin of West Yorkshire Police, said: “This arrest is the result of a detailed investigation and proves that justice knows no boundaries. There may be many thousands of miles between West Yorkshire and Colombia but by working together with partners we have shared resources, information and intelligence to bring Weekes back where he belongs”

“Weekes is well known by those in organised crime groups in West Yorkshire and beyond. This was a horrific crime in which a young child was murdered. Weekes belongs in prison and West Yorkshire Police is committed to ensuring justice is served regardless of where the offenders believe they are safe.”

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Andrew Cooke-Welling, head of the NCA’s international crime bureau, said: “Our ability to work closely and quickly with international partners helped enable Weekes’s arrest and imprisonment for the horrific murder of a little boy.

“We used our global reach to make sure intelligence was exchanged between the right people to end the long-running hunt for Weekes.

“There is no safe haven for fugitives.

“We will never stop pursuing these individuals.”