Mebrahtom Abrha, 36, has been returned to prison after breaching the terms of his sex offenders' order shortly after his release. The breach involved his failure to notify police about bank accounts he had opened, an obligation stemming from his original sentence for a violent rape in Toxteth.
Abrha was jailed for 10 years in 2016, with an additional five-year licence period, after he followed a woman from Liverpool city centre and raped her twice in the street. He was released in April 2026, but Cheshire Constabulary officers from the sex offenders management unit, alongside probation teams, soon discovered he had already violated his order.
Breach of Sex Offenders' Order
During a visit to Abrha's home, officers examined his devices and found two online banking apps on his mobile phone. A subsequent search also uncovered two bank cards on his person. Checks of management systems revealed he had not disclosed the accounts, a clear breach of his order.
When questioned, Abrha claimed he did not understand the order because English was his second language. This was despite him conversing in fluent English and signing the order document confirming his understanding. He also said he thought he needed to register accounts only after depositing money and receiving a banking card.
Original Attack and Sentencing
Liverpool Crown Court heard in 2016 that the victim had been clubbing and was walking to her boyfriend's house in Toxteth when Abrha followed her in the rain. After throwing her to the ground, he raped her twice despite her cries that she was a virgin. He then walked away and fled the city when CCTV of the attack was released.
Police traced his movements back to 4am, when he was thrown out of Modo bar in Concert Square. He was seen drinking alone in two bars on Slater Street, then urinating against a wall in Wood Street, before following the woman. The attack prompted a BBC Crimewatch reconstruction, and information led to his arrest in Birmingham. He admitted two counts of rape.
In a written letter, Abrha, who lived in Wavertree at the time, told the court: "This was a deeply sad and unchristian act. I did a bad thing to this woman. I do recognise I left a scar on her life and all her family."
The victim said in a statement: "I felt ashamed, dirty, disgusting and unclean. I felt horrible in myself and always felt exposed, even when I was covered up...I love Liverpool but after this I want to get away from Liverpool. I felt after this incident it was now tarnished for me and isn't the city I first fell in love with."
Judge David Aubrey KC said: "She would never have imagined in her darkest of nightmares that such an event would occur and she would lose her virginity in the manner described to this court."
Return to Custody
Following a four-day trial at Chester Crown Court, Abrha was sentenced to six months in prison after being found guilty of two counts of failing to comply with the requirements of a sex offenders' order.
A Cheshire Constabulary spokesperson said: "Abrha told police that, despite being handed a court order that was to remain active for the remainder of his life, he had not actually read the terms and did not understand what was required of him to keep him out prison."
The spokesperson added: "It was this clear breach, paired with the fact that he had only just begun the licence period of his sentence, that resulted in him being promptly arrested and returned to police custody and later charged. Sex offenders' orders are put in place to keep members of the public safe from dangerous offenders, and we treat any breaches with the utmost seriousness and will always take immediate action."
