Harehills Rioter Jailed for Arson & Violent Disorder

Rioter Catalin Tiuga, 42, helped fuel mayhem as a bus burned & police came under attack in Harehills — now jailed after detectives used tech to expose his role.

Catalin Tiuga has been jailed for four years for his role in the Harehills disorder, becoming the thirty-third criminal convicted over the Leeds unrest that erupted on the evening of 18 July 2024. The 42-year-old, of Seaforth Place, admitted violent disorder & arson at Leeds Crown Court after extensive investigative work traced his involvement to key moments of the confrontation between rioters & police.

Tiuga was captured on CCTV throwing bottles towards police officers deployed to restore order as hundreds took to the streets following an intervention by social workers to remove four children into emergency foster care. He was later seen holding a lighter used to ignite cardboard boxes as violence escalated, with a double-decker bus torched & a police car overturned during the height of the disturbance.

Detectives from the Homicide & Major Enquiry Team have been supported by specialist technology throughout their wide-ranging investigation, enabling the identification of key suspects involved in attacks on public property, emergency personnel & operational vehicles. Their efforts have led to 86 arrests to date, with 43 defendants charged with offences linked to the Harehills incident & 33 already convicted through the courts.

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Senior officers have reiterated their commitment to pursuing all remaining suspects, stressing that the investigation remains active & further arrests are expected as enquiries continue. They have repeatedly encouraged members of the public to come forward with information to support the work of the force in holding violent offenders accountable.

Tiuga’s sentencing marks a further step in the ongoing judicial response to the outbreak of disorder that saw significant resources deployed & major damage inflicted on public infrastructure, as courts continue to process cases involving those charged over the events of that night.

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