Man at centre of 32-hour city centre siege guilty

A man who threatened to blow up an apartment block during a 32-hour police siege in Sheffield city centre has been found guilty of several offences.

In February 2025, Yaqub Younis triggered an evacuation of The Gateway apartment block in Broad Street, telling residents and armed officers he had guns and explosives and would open fire from the balcony of his flat there.

At Sheffield Crown Court on Monday, jurors rejected his claims that MI5 and the National Crime Agency had been plotting to kill him and that he had believed his life was in danger.

The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, told Younis, 49, he would be sentenced on 2 July.

The court previously heard how on 10 February last year, the defendant, while on prison recall, began telling fellow residents that he had grenades and explosives and that they should evacuate the building.

Police were called and about 100 residents were relocated to the Ponds Forge sports centre for the night.

Younis refused to cooperate with officers and remained "holed-up" in his flat for the entire 32-hour period, shouting that he had "loads of guns" and 18-20kg of explosives.

He also threw a TV and various household items, some of which were on fire, off his balcony and trashed the interior of his flat.

During his trial, Younis told jurors he had thrown the television out of the window because he wanted people to video it - believing the attention would save his life.

He was arrested in the early hours of 12 February and a search of his flat found drugs, knives, a lock knife and a police baton.

The court heard the defendant's actions caused enormous disruption to Sheffield residents, workers and visitors as the area surrounding the block had to be sealed off to all forms of traffic.

Police alerted bus companies, SuperTram and the highways authority.

Sheffield Parkway between Park Square roundabout and Derek Dooley Way was closed in both directions while trams were also halted.

Jurors deliberated for two hours and 16 minutes before finding Younis guilty of communicating false information with intent, intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance, affray and criminal damage to property.

Judge Richardson told the defendant: "You presented a comprehensively absurd defence.

"The jury within a relatively short space of time fully and properly considered it and rejected that.

"They were right to do so without any doubt. Their verdicts speak volumes."

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