Seventeen criminals from Merseyside were sentenced to a combined total of 56 years and five months in prison over the past week, according to Merseyside Police. Among those jailed were a British Airways pilot who raped a 12-year-old girl, a fake Uber driver who kidnapped a woman from outside Anfield Stadium, and a burglar who made himself toast while stealing electronics.
British Airways pilot jailed for child rape
Kwame Yeboah, 30, a former England basketball youth international and British Airways pilot, drove hundreds of miles from his home in Reading to the Wirral to sexually abuse a 12-year-old girl he had groomed via social media. He met the victim on video chatroom Omegle and exchanged explicit messages on Instagram before travelling to Merseyside when she ran away from home. He checked into a hotel and raped the child twice in his car. Yeboah admitted three counts of rape of a child under 13 and assault of a child under 13 by penetration. He was jailed for eight years and four months, with an additional year on licence.
Fake Uber driver kidnaps woman from Anfield
Damian Watson, 36, posed as an Uber driver and prowled the streets for vulnerable victims before parking outside Liverpool FC's Anfield Stadium. A woman who had booked a ride entered his van, believing it was her taxi. Watson locked the doors, kept her captive for nearly half an hour, and demanded she flash her breasts. He admitted kidnap and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and was jailed for five and a half years.
Hungry burglar makes toast during break-in
Jason McKinney, 26, and an accomplice broke into a flat and made themselves a round of toast while stealing around £2,500 of electronic goods. They later robbed two other men, claiming to be armed with a gun and threatening to shoot them. McKinney admitted two counts of burglary and one of robbery and was jailed for 37 months.
Dad runs over pedestrian outside pub
Liam Naylor, 31, ploughed his car into customers outside a pub on Father's Day after a row, shouting 'Who the f*** do you think you're looking at? Do you know who I am?' He broke an innocent man's leg, leaving him in hospital for days after a nine-hour operation. Naylor was more than double the drink-drive limit. He admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm, dangerous driving, drink driving, and failing to provide a specimen. He was jailed for 35 months.
Bank worker defrauds neighbours of £250,000
Sam McGee, 39, a Barclays employee and treasurer of his housing co-operative, defrauded neighbours of more than £250,000 to feed his online gambling addiction. Pensioners and families with newborns feared losing their homes. He pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and was jailed for four years and eight months.
Rapist arrested after returning from China
Michael McAteer, 65, a convicted rapist, spent three years in China without notifying police, violating the sex offenders' register. He returned to the UK for hospital treatment and was arrested at the airport. A judge said his actions were 'a determined attempt to avoid detection.' He admitted failing to comply with notification requirements and was jailed for eight months.
Other notable sentences
Lewis Miller, 25, was jailed for seven years for raping a woman who said her 'life was altered forever.' Jack Burrows, 20, was sentenced to 35 months in a young offenders' institute for sexually assaulting a child under 13. Karl Seiga, 36, was jailed for eight years for sexual assault by penetration. Philip Nicholls, 36, received four years for battering his girlfriend and her brother. Adam Knapper, 29, was jailed for 39 months for robbing a Tesco worker of Lindt chocolate and dangerous driving. Zac Dillon, 32, was jailed for 16 months for threatening to murder the mother of his child.
