Ten criminals from Merseyside were imprisoned over the past week, receiving a combined total of 48 years and nine months in prison. The cases, heard at Liverpool Crown Court and other courts, included a man who stamped on his pregnant girlfriend's stomach, a "minor league gangster" who chased a mother with a machete, and a drug-dealing Uber driver.
Violent offenders sentenced
Benjamin Merrill, 31, of Stonehaven Drive in Warrington, was arrested in bed after he "didn't learn his lesson". He had previously received a police caution for downloading indecent images of children, but returned to his old ways more than a decade later after turning to drink following his mother's death. He shared indecent materials in group chats online and disclosed his desires to sexually abuse young boys. A judge told him: "Lots of people are lonely. Lots of people are depressed. They don't all share images of children being raped and sexually abused." Merrill admitted possession of indecent images of children, three counts of making indecent images, six of distributing indecent images and possession of prohibited images of children. He was jailed for two years.
Gary Bohanna, 55, of Tavy Road in Everton, drank booze and tried to start a fire outside his neighbour's house with the other man still inside. He doused his neighbour's motorbike with petrol before attempting to set it ablaze with a lighter and a blowtorch. Bohanna pleaded guilty to attempted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and was sentenced to four years in prison with an extended licence period of four years.
Domestic abuse and sexual offences
Stephen Beattie was found guilty of rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour and witness intimidation, and was jailed for 11 years. A woman says she is "chased" by him in her nightmares after he raped her.
Adam Gelhardt, 27, of Downside Close in Netherton, a three-time convicted domestic abuser, kicked and stamped on his pregnant girlfriend's stomach. He threatened one ex-partner with a knife and threatened to stab her dad while she lay in a hospital bed. He then poured a milkshake over a third woman's head before kicking her in the face. After she fell pregnant, he again turned violent, booting her to the stomach before flagging down passing cars to seek help for himself. A judge told him: "Your conduct to each of them very quickly descended into drug fuelled, alcohol fuelled violence, aggression and terrorising them. I am struggling to recall offences of controlling and coercive behaviour of this type which are more serious." Gelhardt admitted two counts of controlling and coercive behaviour, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and breaching a suspended sentence order. He was jailed for five-and-a-half years.
Gang-related and drug offences
Kadeem Hodgson, of Longridge Avenue in St Helens, chased a "defenceless, screaming" mother and her six-year-old daughter down the street with a machete. The 26-year-old pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article, affray, and criminal damage, and was sentenced to 31 months in prison.
Matthew Rick, from Southport, was jailed for 11 years for his role in a major organised crime group responsible for distributing cocaine across the UK. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
Mohammed Ajmal groomed a teenager on Snapchat before subjecting the 14-year-old girl to a series of assaults. He was found guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a child and jailed for five years.
Michael Clarke, 24, of Blackbrook Close, an Uber driver, became involved in a ketamine supply operation, operating the graft phone and acting as a chauffeur for the man who supplied drugs to customers. Having served several months behind bars while awaiting court proceedings, he was handed a nine-week prison sentence, meaning he will likely be released imminently. A woman supporting him from the gallery moaned that he "shouldn't be in there anyway" during a foul-mouthed rant. Clarke admitted being concerned in the supply of ketamine, with a further charge of being concerned in the supply of cocaine dropped by the prosecution.
Manslaughter and kidnapping
Graham Daly, 45, a former shop security guard, walked into a pub bare-chested and barefoot after stabbing his mum to death and battering her with a golf club. Phyllis Daly died aged 70 after the assault at their home on Clent Road in Maghull. Having left her gravely injured on the kitchen floor, Daly sped away in his car before entering the Stanley Arms in Aughton wearing only his shorts and threatening to rape a member of staff. He confessed: "My mum tried to kill me today and I defended myself. I killed her." Daly, who was said to have been experiencing "paranoid, persecutory delusions" at the time, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. He was handed a Section 37/41 hospital order, meaning he will be detained in a secure psychiatric facility until it is deemed safe for him to be released.
Anthony White was jailed for seven-and-a-half years for kidnap, blackmail and fraud after four men kidnapped a man, bound his hands, mouth and eyes with duct tape and threatened to shoot him. The victim was held for more than 22 hours after being abducted while delivering a watch to a buyer in Everton, while demands were made for further jewellery. A total of £15,200 was taken from his bank account to pay for six Sur-Ron electric motorbikes and a REVVI bike. Watches were dropped off at an agreed location at Asda on Breck Road before police discovered the hostage, who had suffered minor injuries, and five suspects in a house. Patrick Gray was handed eight years and three months, Connor Kenny received seven years and seven months, and Callum Walsh was imprisoned for seven-and-a-half years. A fifth defendant, Joseph Nolan, was convicted of permitting premises to be used for the supply of a Class B controlled drug and received a 12-month conditional discharge.
