Father-of-five who helped flip police car during Harehills trouble and then fled the country is jailed

Daniel Constantin appeared before Leeds Crown Court for his part in the trouble that engulfed Harehills on the night of July 18 which saw the police being attacked and a bus torched.

The Romanian national appeared in court today via video link from HMP Hull, where he was being held on remand. He admitted violent disorder and handed a 26-month jail sentence.

The judge, Recorder Guy Kearl KC told Constantin the he had “decided to involve yourself in mob violence” that night.

He added: “The police were quickly outnumbered. People like you arrived intending on causing civil unrest.

“You participated in group or mob violence on that evening.

“It was an appalling example to set to your children.”

He told him that a prison was unavoidable and added: “If people engage in violence on the streets, in particularly when directed towards the police , then deterrent sentences will follow.”

The trouble stemmed from an incident on Luxor Street at around 5pm as social workers attempted to take children into care over safeguarding issues. It caused a scene and drew a 100-plus crowd, forcing the police to attend.

But the matter escalated and missiles were thrown towards the police and a police car was overturned. The number of people on the street swelled to more than 300 and a bus was later stopped and torched.

At around 6.11pm that night, 29-year-old Constantin was first picked up on CCTV. Others around him began throwing missiles and he appeared to be “excited by what was happening “, prosecutor Richard Holland told the court.

CCTV and phone footage played to the court showed he was part of the group that then began rocking the abandoned police car and turning it onto its side after officers were forced to retreat.

Constantin, of Nowell Mount, Harehills, fled the country after that night but having been identified as wanted, was arrested on September 24 after landing at Luton Airport. He gave a no-comment interview to police.

Mitigating, Timothy Jacobs said of the footage played to the court: “It was unpleasant and does him no credit. It is, however, limited.

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“It carried on long into the evening, after this defendant’s involvement. There’s no evidence of him playing any other part.

“He is, of course, sorry for what he has done. He is unable to express why he behaved in that way.”

Constantin has been in the UK for six years and no previous convictions.

West Yorkshire Police said a total of 41 people had been arrested as part of the investigation. A spokesman said the force was using facial recognition and other technology to identify those involved.

Others have already been jailed for their part in the violence.