Menacing caller threatened to carry out drive-by shooting on Leeds police station

Ahmed Ayub was later traced through cell-site information and arrested. The 37-year-old had made the bizarre call to the station on August 17, 2022, Leeds Crown Court was told.

He asked to speak with an officer whom he named, but was told by the phone handler that he did not know who the officer was. Ayub then said the officer had been dealing drugs and that he owed Ayub £60,000. He refused to give his name but then said if he didn't receive his cash he had a gun and was going to carry out a drive-by.

They were able to trace Ayub, of Willow Close, Burley, and later linked his phone number to previous nuisance calls. Following his arrest, he was interviewed in June last year but denied the offence. He later admitted sending a malicious communication with an intent to cause distress.

Prosecutor Michael Smith said Ayub had a previous conviction for a similar offence from 2006, in which he threatened to blow up a test centre after failing his driving test.

Mitigating, Peter Byrne referred to a doctor's report which suggested that Ayub has a low IQ. He said that he would be willing to complete unpaid work.

Judge Tahir Khan KC said he would not lock Ayub up and instead handed him a 12-month community order, 20 rehabilitation days and 140 hours of unpaid work.