A father-of-three pretended to be an Uber driver to abduct a woman from outside Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, demanding she expose her breasts while holding her captive for nearly half an hour. Damian Watson, 36, was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court on June 26 after pleading guilty to kidnap and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.
The Abduction
The victim had attended an event at Anfield and booked an Uber to take her to Concert Square in Liverpool city centre shortly after 11:30pm. CCTV footage showed Watson driving his white van around the city centre and then toward the stadium, “looking for a vulnerable female to target and to commit a sexual offence,” prosecutor Neil Bisarya told the court. Watson parked near the Shankly Gates, and the woman mistakenly entered his van, believing it was her Uber.
After asking her destination, Watson drove her to a secluded alleyway in Bootle. The woman looked out the window and did not recognize her surroundings. She then received a notification that her Uber had been cancelled, which alarmed her. When she asked where she was, Watson replied, “You’re in Bootle now love.”
The Demands
The victim again asked to be taken to the city centre, and Watson restarted the engine. Instead of driving off, he turned toward her and demanded she expose her breasts. The panicked woman tried to open the door but found it locked. Despite begging to be let out, Watson repeated the demand in an aggressive manner four times before unbuckling his seatbelt and telling her to expose herself so he would let her go.
Fearing she would be raped, the victim complied under duress. Watson then drove away but stopped again and asked her to expose herself a second time, assuring her he “wouldn’t touch her.” She complied again. He was not satisfied with the view and asked her to move so he could see better. He only stopped making demands when she was hyperventilating and in distress. Watson eventually drove her to the junction of Berry Street and Seel Street in the city centre and let her out.
Evidence and Sentencing
It was later discovered that Watson had recorded the incident by securing his mobile phone to the centre console. Recorder Anna Pope KC noted the significant pre-planning, stating, “You prepared for your offending by setting up your mobile phone, so that the camera was facing the back seat. This demonstrates to me a significant degree of pre-planning.”
The judge also highlighted the predatory nature of the crime: “I am satisfied that, on that night, you were out on your own, looking to find a lone female against whom to commit a sexual offence. You parked up and waited for your victim.” She commended the victim’s courage, saying, “Your victim showed incredible courage and fortitude. She can only be commended for the way in which she dealt with a frightening situation. She thought, that night, that you were going to rape her.”
Watson, of no fixed address but previously of Liscard, Wirral, appeared via video link from HMP Liverpool wearing a black Montirex t-shirt. He buried his head in his hands throughout the hearing. In addition to the prison sentence, he was issued an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offenders’ register for life.
The judge concluded, “Women on a night out in Liverpool have every right to feel safe. Anyone who seeks out lone women then goes on to commit serious offences can expect significant punishment.”
