Police have this week launched a manhunt as they appeal for Leon Jeanne, an former EFL footballer, 44, to return to prison.
His criminal history includes being jailed in 2015 for 30 months for his role in a plot to supply cocaine, and more recently, he was convicted of dangerous driving in 2019 after a high-speed chase by police at 100mph.
This conviction was chillingly close to where his son Rafel later died in a car crash in March 2023.
Jeanne was allowed out on day release to attend his son’s funeral but was subsequently sent back to prison for breaching a curfew.
The police have issued an appeal for information to help locate him, referencing the case with the number 2500002271.
South Wales Police issued a brief appeal on its Facebook page saying he is wanted back in prison.
South Wales Police Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan posted via their Facebook page:
#WANTED | Leon Jeanne
Age: 44
From Cardiff
Recalled to Prison
Give reference 2500002271
Live Chat https://www.south-wales.police.uk/
Contact us via https://bit.ly/SWPProvideInfo
101
Always call 999 in an emergency.
Or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111
In May 2015, Jeanne had been sentenced to 30 months in prison for conspiring to supply cocaine, heroin and cannabis, part of a drug gang (consisting of six men), bring hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of drugs into Gloucestershire from London, Cardiff and Birmingham, where he sold crack cocaine and heroin.
He was responsible for the Cardiff side of the gangs business operation with Judge Ford telling him: “You are a great disappointment to many people. You wasted your talent and turned from an honest, athletic man to a common criminal. You’ve been ruined by drugs. References show you have the capacity for reform.”
In June 2017, Jeanne and his 19-year-old son Tremaine were convicted after the latter had an armed fight with another male in Llanrumney in November 2016. Leon admitted threats and received 180 hours of unpaid work, while his son received eight months in detention for affray and possession of an offensive weapon, concurrent with his three-year sentence for possessing crack cocaine with intent to supply. The third man received six months in prison for affray.
In July 2019, Jeanne had been convicted of dangerous driving after damaging another car while fleeing from the police at 100 miles per hour. He was given an eight-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, and 12 weeks of curfew. In September, a warrant was issued for his arrest due to breaches of curfew.
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Peter Crouch once named Jeanne among the players who didn’t make it to the level he expected, telling the Daily Mail in 2020 that Leon “looked like he could go far but it never happened”.
Ex-teammate Jay Bothroyd said last year: Remember a guy called Leon Jeanne from Cardiff, he was Arsenal with me was Arenal with me, he was the most talented player I’ve ever seen at that age like he was unbelievable but he had about four kids when he was 16.
When told Leon was in jail, Jay replied: Is he?
Interviewer: He’s in jail on a big one
Jay: I’ve got respect I got a you know I respect him man he always kept it real and he was always himself he tried to do it his way it didn’t he go QPR as well yeah I think he was at QPR as well but he was like he was a really good player at that age but even then again it’s like you’re that age like 14 something like that and it’s like you can have the most talent in the world but life happens things happen you can be a product of your environment you can be influenced by the wrong people and you end up not making it yeah yeah so trials it’s just bullshit it doesn’t mean nothing who cares about I had a trial what does the trial mean, if someone like that came around now and he’s that you know talented you have a support system to look after you then you didn’t it was just like you just have to go and play if you don’t play you don’t really love it you just get moved to one side someone else will do it
Interviewer: And if that support system was there back then do you think he would have gone for…
Jay: Yeah definitely cuz he had that that raw talent, he had raw talent he was he was quick he was strong he was skillful, he could score a goal, he could play on, I remember he was right footed, he could play on the the left wing, he could play as a number 10, he could play, he was a very good player for me to say that
Interviewer: One of our biggest requests to get on has been Leon and I’m like I can’t he’s away
Jay: You need to go and visit him in prison and do it then
Interviewer: Yeah it’d be a good one
Jay: I bet he’s got so many stories, but I mean again I really liked him, I like playing with him he was a good lad always
Interviewer: If Leon or his boys saw this what anything you’d say to him
Jay: I mean get your head down man get your head down you know it’s funny because my friend just came out of prison as well and I was like I was speaking to him recently cuz I haven’t seen him again because he done a stretch but he was saying that like all I do now is just keep myself active, I just go to work all the time because I got to look after my family, but you know what the thing is like obviously when you come from a tough background and you know you how many kid Leon must have like four five kids… but he was like I mean listen I think when you need to get out and you need to get your life I think you know hopefully you know being in prison for this long will get his mind right, he comes out and he gets on a straight and narrow to look after himself and for his family because that’s the most important thing yeah your kids get them on the straight and narrow I don’t know what they’re doing but if they’re on antics doing you know what you just said then you know they need to get on the straight and narrow and start understanding that life is precious and you even get one life on this planet so you know get your head down and start doing something that is respectable that you can look after your family and do because ultimately, these kids are going to have kids as well right you got to look after the next generation so I mean that’s the only thing I would say but you know you know now you’ve told me that I mean I might even go to to to where Leon is in prison and go and chat to him myself
Interviewer: I think something like that would go a long way wouldn’t it
Jay: We’ll go together then out and I’ll come and do it 100%
Jeanne recently appeared on The Central Club podcast, speaking from HMP Parc. He talked about the time he failed to turn up for QPR training for two years and missed out on playing for the Wales national side.
Jeanne says: ‘He [the manager] rung me on time he said “where are you?” I said “Australia” – [but] I was in Cardiff.
‘It was the time I didn’t turn up for Wales, for the first team squad for Wales. I didn’t turn up because I was partying and that.
‘I didn’t go to QPR for about two years and they were still paying me and all that and I was out in Cardiff partying for 18 months to two years.’

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