Hundreds of men are convicted of abusing or assaulting women at Liverpool Crown Court each year. Behind every conviction is a victim left to cope with the lasting emotional and physical consequences of their ordeal, with many facing a long and difficult journey towards rebuilding their lives.
For survivors, the pursuit of justice can be an incredibly traumatic experience in itself. They are often required to recount deeply distressing experiences during police interviews, only to face the prospect of reliving their trauma when giving evidence in court.
Many of the women targeted by these men were their current or former partners - and, in the most tragic cases, the abuse proved fatal.
Murder and Brutal Assaults
In one horrifying case, a man stabbed his estranged wife 18 times in the shop where she worked. In another, an abuser attempted to kick down the front door of his own home as his fiancée and her daughter barricaded themselves inside.
And in a third case, a rapist followed a nan home from a nightclub before assaulting her while she slept. This is not an exhaustive list, but it highlights some of the most serious and disturbing cases of violence against women recently prosecuted in Merseyside.
Sentences Handed Down
Fahad Al Eniezi, 37, was found guilty of offences including two counts of rape and assault by penetration by a jury. He was jailed for 11 years after subjecting a woman to a "physical and psychological torture" over two hours.
Daniel Ingram, of Beckwith Street, Birkenhead, was jailed for 23 years after being found guilty of raping a girl over a 14-year period. He was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, October 12 after being charged with 13 counts of rape and five counts of sexual assault. The offences were committed between 2000 and 2014. Ingram was also handed a further seven years on extended licence, a lifetime restraining order and an indefinite Sex Offender Notification Order.
Nimalarajah Mathiyadaranam, 47, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 29 years for stabbing his estranged wife Nilani Nimalarajah 18 times in the shop where she worked, Low Cost Food and Wine on Stanley Road in Bootle. He had denied her murder but changed his plea to guilty.
Mohamed Benradi was found guilty of rape and two counts of theft following a trial. He was jailed for eight-and-a-half years, handed an indefinite restraining order and told to sign the sex offenders' register for life.
Bernard Sullivan, 51, was jailed for 19 years after a jury found him guilty of two counts of assault by penetration, strangulation and three counts of rape. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and handed an indefinite restraining order.
Impact on Victims
Ryan Theaker, 30, a former Merseyside Matrix officer, was jailed for 11 years with a further five on licence. He was convicted of rape, sexual assault and assault by penetration, with nearly 85 minutes of the assault captured on an audio recorder on his victim's phone.
In a victim impact statement, one survivor described the devastating effect the abuse had on her life. She said: "Sullivan stripped away the strong, confident person I used to be. I struggled to go out alone, suffered nightmares. I was constantly nervous and anxious and frightened in my own community."
"Despite everything, I have worked hard to rebuild my life. His actions changed my life, affected my mental health, damaged my confidence, and altered how I live day-to-day. I believe women will be safer with him no longer in the community."
