Vandal Wrecks Leeds Hospital Multi-Faith Room – Jailed for 40 Weeks
A man has been slammed with a 40-week prison sentence after vandalising a multi-faith room at Leeds’ St James’s Hospital. His shocking attacks targeted sacred texts and blocked drains with burnt religious pages.
Faith Room Smeared Twice in Just Weeks
Police rushed to the Bexley Wing on 29 November 2025 following reports that a framed Islamic scripture had been smashed. Several copies of the Quran were also vandalised. Pages were torn out, set on fire, then stuffed into sinks and toilets to cause nasty blockages.
Just ten days later, on 9 December, the same multi-faith room suffered fresh damage, with drains again deliberately blocked by debris.
Perp Nabbed Trying to Strike Again
Security staff caught 36-year-old Ibrahim Iqbal, who has no fixed address, red-handed trying to break into the room on 10 December. CCTV footage confirmed he was behind both attacks.
Police said no one else entered the room during the times of the damage.
Hate Crime Continues in Custody
While in police custody, Iqbal daubed antisemitic graffiti on his cell wall, adding another religiously aggravated offence to his record.
At Leeds Magistrates’ Court, he pled guilty to two counts of religiously aggravated criminal damage and one count of criminal damage. He was sentenced to 40 weeks behind bars.
