Leeds city centre knifepoint robbery thugs locked up

Kyrone Noble, Daryl Gowthorpe and Ashley Shelton were handed jail terms totalling almost 20 years after a court heard four victims were threatened with violence as they were robbed of mobile phones and cash cards.

Leeds Crown Court heard a victim ran in “sheer terror” during one offence in the early hours of December 20 last year.

In a separate incident 12 days earlier, Noble stabbed a man in the leg and buttock in a street attack in Garforth.

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Bashir Ahmed, prosecuting, said the first robbery victim was targeted at 3.25am on Cross Chancellor Street as he made his way home to his student accommodation after a night out.

The men, who were wearing hoodies and had their faces covered, forced the victim into an alleyway and ordered him to empty his pockets.

Mr Ahmed said the victim felt something sharp pressed against him and thought it was a knife.

He handed over his iPhone and was then made to tell them his Apple ID and password.

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The victim was made to go with them to withdraw cash from a machine at a petrol station.

He was punched in the face when he was unable to withdraw money.

Noble, Gowthorpe and Shelton ran off when the victim banged on the petrol station window and asked a member of staff to call police.

The trio robbed a woman of her mobile phone on Albion Place a short time later.

Another student was robbed near to Lovell Park Road at 4am.

The prosecutor said all three men were riding bikes.

They surrounded the victim before making him hand over a wallet and mobile phone.

Noble took out a knife and held it close to the victim’s stomach.

Demands for passwords and his bank card PIN number were made.

They then warned him not to contact police as they knew his identity.

A fourth victim was targeted on George Street at 4.40am.

He ran off after one of the men pulled out a knife and demanded his wallet.

the man dropped his headphones and work identification card which were then stolen.

Police arrested all three defendants close to Leeds Market a short time later.

Mr Ahmed said Noble carried out a knife attack on a man on Montague Crescent, Garforth, on December 8.

The man had earlier challenged Noble and two other men for being “rowdy” during the train journey from Leeds to Garforth.

The victim was attacked after getting off the train.

Noble and the two men left the victim unconscious in the street with two knife wounds.

He was helped by members of the public who called for an ambulance.

Noble’s DNA was recovered from the knife which was left close to the scene.

Noble, 18, Gowthorpe, 21, and Shelton, 25, pleaded guilty to four offences of robbery.

Noble also pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding and possesson of an offensive weapon.

Noble was given an extended sentence totalling nine years.

Gowthorpe was jailed for five and a half years.

Shelton was jailed for four years, nine months.