These are the faces of 58 criminals jailed in February for crimes linked to Merseyside.
One judge had to deal with a drug-addled young man who attacked a neighbour with a shopping bag full of excrement.
Courts heard about a convicted murderer caught with two knives and a Liverpool University technician who wanted to have sex with a 13-year-old girl.
Judges had to sentence drug dealers brought down as a result of police hacking the secret phone network EncroChat and serial woman abusers who committed appalling crimes against vulnerable victims.
Meanwhile they also heard about a knife wielding crook who was slashed by a shop assistant with a machete and a thug who carved up his own cousin's back with a Stanley blade at a wedding.
A man who was part of a gang that caused a £1.5m trail of destruction was finally brought to justice and a wicked mum-to-be who carried out a petrol bomb attack on the home of her ex-boyfriend was locked up.
Here is an overview of some of the most serious cases to have concluded this past month.
Olaf Raetzel
Teacher and university worker Olaf Raetzel was finally jailed five years after being caught with child sex abuse videos.
The 51-year-old was arrested in Ormskirk in May 2015, but failed to turn up for a police interview and fled abroad to Ireland.
He started a new life in Dublin where, despite his perverted past, he worked as a content moderator for a social media giant.
Raetzel was detained again last September on a European Arrest Warrant and extradited back to the UK to face justice over 21 sick files.
More than five years on from a police raid at his West Lancashire home, he admitted three counts of possessing indecent images of children.
The theoretical physics graduate worked as a teacher before becoming a learning technology development officer at Edge Hill University.
The German national, now of no fixed address, was jailed for five months.
Terence McEvoy
Terence McEvoy battered his own cousin to the point the victim didn't recognise himself in the mirror.
He punched and kicked Graham McEvoy repeatedly in the head as he lay defenceless on the ground.
The victim suffered fractures to his nose, skull and inside both eye sockets - extending into the area where the brain rests.
Doctors had to cut open the top of his head from ear to ear to repair the damage and insert metal plates and screws.
The dad has since developed a stutter - meaning he can't say his son's name properly - and lost his sense of taste and smell.
CCTV footage showed Terence, 31, attacking Graham, 39, in Pennine Drive, St Helens, at around 2.45am on July 12, 2020.
Terence, of Mcminnis Avenue, St Helens, who has 27 convictions for 36 offences, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.
He was jailed for nine years.
Sonia Malhi
A woman helped three wicked sisters steal tens of thousands of pounds from people and businesses across the North West.
Sonia Malhi was part of a gang that ripped off Liverpool businesses, then splashed cash on fags, booze and hundreds of lottery tickets.
Sarah Burdon, 40, Lynsey Burdon, 36, and Emmiline Burdon, 29, were jailed last August, after admitting conspiracy to commit fraud.
The brazen crooks were captured on CCTV targeting luxury shops and restaurants in Liverpool One and the Metquarter to buy goods using payment details from receipts swiped from restaurants and hotels.
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Sometimes the gang would return and request a refund, using their own payment cards so their own bank accounts were credited.
They moved on to target off licences and petrol stations but were arrested following raids on their homes in Greater Manchester last May.
Malhi, 38, of Hobson Crescent, Audenshaw, admitted conspiracy to commit fraud, theft, possessing a weapon and possessing cocaine.
She also admitted a second fraud plot, relating to her own gang scamming nearly £14,000 from luxury hotels and restaurants in Cumbria.
Malhi was jailed for 20 months.
Kevin McCabe
'County Lines' drug dealer Kevin McCabe was caught out after hiding cocaine and heroin at home.
Police raided the property after he was suspected of being involved in dealing in Sussex, Newcastle-Under-Lyne and Staffordshire.
The 28-year-old was snared by officers when they arrived in Pershore Road, Kirkby, and recovered his stash of Class A drugs on December 14.
He admitted ten offences including possessing cocaine and heroin with intent to supply, being concerned in the offer of supply of both drugs, and a number of driving offences.
McCabe was jailed for four years and nine months.
Daniel Leonard
Daniel Leonard spat at and bit his mother’s face after she tried to stop him assaulting his pregnant sister.
He turned violent after an evening drinking at his mum's home in Runcorn on Boxing Day ran into the early hours of December 27.
The 34-year-old, of Parish Mews, Knotty Ash, was said to have taken cocaine before he became irritated and argued with his sister Natalie.
He grabbed hold of Natalie, dragged her to the floor, then made threats including "I will knock your f***ing teeth out" and "I will end your life".
His mum Katherine told him "no you won't, get off her - she's pregnant", before pushing him away and telling Natalie to call the police.
Leonard dragged his mum to the floor, made threats then spat in her face, before he pulled her head up and bit the left side of her face.
He pleaded guilty to common assault and assault causing bodily harm and was jailed for five months.
Josh Wade
Josh Wade emptied a shopping bag full of his own faeces over a female NHS worker's head.
The then 21-year-old subjected his neighbour to "aggressive and unpleasant" behaviour for more than two months.
A judge said this amounted to a "campaign of harassment" against the woman, who the ECHO chose not to name.
Wade spotted the victim walking to work outside their properties in Ford Lane, Litherland, at around 7.15am, on October 1 last year.
He ran at the woman, grabbed her and slapped her in the face with his hand holding the bag and smeared its contents over her head.
Wade, now 22, of Ford Lane, admitted administering a noxious substance and possessing cannabis.
He was jailed for 14 months.
Mark Senior
Serial abuser Mark Senior beat his girlfriend so badly she was left struggling to breathe.
The 40-year-old punched the woman to the floor and then kicked her in the ribs in a cowardly attack.
He had recently been released from prison for another offence against the same victim, who the ECHO chose not to name.
She applied for a previous restraining order against him to be lifted after Senior promised her he wouldn't be violent again.
But while they were having a drink together in her flat, she accidentally called him by her ex-boyfriend's name and he flipped.
Senior, who admitted assault by beating and criminal damage, had 28 previous convictions for 49 offences - 15 against the same victim,
The bully, of Alnwick Drive, Ellesmere Port, was jailed for 14 weeks.
James Duckworth
James Duckworth was exposed as the 'UK head of distribution' for a multi-million pound drug plot.
The 42-year-old went by the handle 'AtomicMantis' and nickname 'Silky' on the encrypted messaging service EncroChat.
The dad-of-two distributed more than 48kg of cocaine and heroin for an international drug trafficker known as "FierceCrow".
Notes on Duckworth's phone suggested he was responsible for paying out more than £4m to associates on just one day.
Meanwhile photos showed £385,000 of cash - vacuum sealed for delivery - laid out in front of the fireplace of his family's Kirkby home - along with kilos of Class A drugs opened for inspection.
But the top secret EncroChat network - relied upon by killers and gangsters across Europe - was hacked by police last July.
Officers raided Duckworth's Langdale Close home on June 18, 2020, when they seized "thousands of pounds" in cash, a money counting machine and other drug paraphernalia.
He admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, plus conspiracy to convert criminal property and possessing criminal property.
Duckworth, who had nine previous convictions for 19 offences, was jailed for 16 and a half years.
Colin Poole
Colin Poole stole nearly £300 of chocolate and meat in a two-day spree just days after receiving a court ban.
The 39-year-old was hit with a Criminal Behaviour Order, banning him from entering any Co-op store in Widnes and concealing items before purchase at any retail premises in Cheshire, at the end of January.
But he pilfered £180 of chocolate during two visits to a Co-op store on Hale Road in Widnes on January 29 and the following day stole £101 of meat from a shop at Fir Park in Upton Rocks.
Poole, of no fixed address, admitted three thefts and breaching his order.
He was jailed for 24 weeks.
Jordan Hughes
Jordan Hughes traded cocaine and heroin with crooks using names of Liverpool FC stars on EncroChat.
The drug dealer went by the alias 'SnowEmu' on the encrypted messaging service beloved by gangsters and killers across Europe.
The dad-of-two, who had no legitimate income, owned a Mercedes SUV and boasted of a two-storey extension to his Roby home.
The 30-year-old even took his family on a six-week summer holiday to Spain, all thanks to his deals with other criminals going by handles including "JurgenNeverStops" and "AlissonBecker".
But his involvement in trafficking an estimated 15kg of Class A drugs came crashing down when police agencies hacked the phone network.
And just days after the family returned from the extravagant trip, police raided their house in Holly Grove, Roby and arrested the dealer.
Hughes admitted conspiring to supply cocaine and heroin and was jailed for 12 years.
Kaya Colakoglu
Knife wielding Kaya Colakoglu was recognised when he removed a surgical mask to buy booze just moments after robbing a shop.
The 29-year-old went into a shop on Westminster Road. in Ellesmere Port. on January 2 this year, at around 8.30pm, armed with a large knife.
He threatened to stab a staff member and stole cash from the till before fleeing on foot.
However, shortly after, Colakoglu dropped his disguise when buying rum and a soft drink at a convenience store in nearby Stanley Road.
Detectives released CCTV images of unmasked Colakoglu, who was identified by a member of the public and arrested at his home in Lime Street, Ellesmere Port, just 17 hours after the raid.
Colakoglu admitted robbery and possessing a knife, plus breaching a 10-month suspended sentence.
That was imposed earlier last year for assault, affray, criminal damage and possessing an offensive weapon.
Colakoglu received four years and two months in prison in total.
James Tighe
James Tighe's former girlfriend woke up naked and covered in blood and bruises after a "mystery" attack.
He launched a sustained and repeated assault on his former partner after she went on a night out without him in February 2020.
The woman, who the ECHO chose not to name, last remembered Tighe "winding" her in an argument about her mobile phone.
She woke to find more than 20 bruises to her arms and hands, a black eye, lumps to her head and bruises to her hip and knee.
The woman's long hair, stretching down to her bottom, was left so "matted and knotted" that it had to be cut off by a hairdresser.
But her ex refused to reveal what he did to his victim and claimed that aside from one slap she caused all the injuries to herself.
Tighe, 35, of Edwin Street, Widnes, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and criminal damage.
He was jailed for two years and three months.
Dean Pitts
Dean Pitts who "enslaved" and kidnapped a young mum stormed out of his own sentencing.
A judge slammed the 27-year-old, who he said lacked the "courage" to face up to his crimes.
Pitts, aka Dean Mansfield, was "extremely controlling" and violent to his partner from May to November 2020.
He punched her, broke her iron, attacked her dad when he intervened and broke his phone, then later kidnapped her.
On November 23 she fled into a shop, but he twice dragged her out and forced her into her car, then drove off.
During the incident he punched a passer-by who tried to help his victim and kicked a shopkeeper.
Pitts, of no fixed address but from Warrington, admitted controlling and coercive behaviour, kidnap, assault causing actual bodily harm, three counts of common assault and two counts of criminal damage.
He also admitted burglary, over an incident when he stole seven shotguns from a firearms store in 2019.
His 18 previous convictions for 47 offences include causing unnecessary suffering to an animal - a dog that had to be put down.
Pitts was jailed for five years and 10 months.
Richard Roberts
Richard Roberts who stabbed a man to death in Magaluf was caught at a B&M store with two knives.
The then 36-year-old murdered British barman Daniel Hastelow on the Spanish island of Majorca in January 2008.
The Liverpool man was jailed for 18 years in October 2009, after a Palma court heard he knifed his victim eight times.
But the killer was released and spotted acting suspiciously at Cherry Tree Shopping Centre in Wallasey in December 2019.
And when a security guard found two blades, Roberts claimed he needed them to cut up food because he doesn't have any teeth.
Roberts, now 47, of Rankin Street, Wallasey, was convicted of one count of possessing a knife in public, after being acquitted of a second count of the same charge after a trial.
The killer, who had 36 previous convictions for a staggering 92 offences, was jailed for four months.
Ryan Gilbertson
Ryan Gilbertson was branded a "danger to women" after battering two more victims.
The 30-year-old knocked out one girlfriend's teeth by repeatedly punching her as she drifted in and out of consciousness.
She had confronted him over an ECHO article in which the wanted serial abuser's history of terrifying women was laid bare.
The attack took place just months after he brutalised another partner, vandalised her home and chased her dogs with knives.
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Gilbertson, formerly of Toxteth, targeted that mum during their relationship in early January 2020, when he headbutted and kicked her.
He then battered the second partner in June, after she was alerted to the fact he was wanted and ended up losing three of her front teeth.
Gilbertson, formerly of Hyslop Street, Toxteth, admitted controlling and coercive behaviour and assault causing actual bodily harm.
He had 14 previous convictions for 25 offences, including a burglary when he smashed his way into another ex partner's home.
Gilbertson was jailed for two and a half years.
Seamus Maughan and Terence Mongan
Seamus Maughan and Terence Mongan tried to run from the police when stolen catalytic converters were found in their car boot.
The pair, both of Warrington Road, Runcorn, were foiled after officers pounced following reports that men in a green Toyota Avensis had removed the converters from parked cars in Padgate and Grappenhall in Warrington on Friday, October 16 last year.
A search found the car at Gemini Retail Park at around 8.30pm with the catalytic converters and tools inside.
Maughan, 38, and Mongan, 45, admitted two counts of theft from a motor vehicle and one of going equipped for theft, while Maughan also admitted driving while disqualified.
Maughan was jailed for two years and eight months, while Mongan was locked up for two and a half years.
Michael Townsend
Drug dealer Michael Townsend aka "SacredMask" on EncroChat was brought down after his secret messages were hacked by police.
The 26-year-old, of Grant Road, Huyton, was arrested in June 2020 after messages from his handle on the encrypted communication service spoke about the multi-kilo supply of cannabis to a number of different people.
The operation which brought him down has involved European law enforcement agencies working with the NCA and supported across the UK by police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units.
He admitted conspiracy to supply cannabis and acquire/use/possess criminal property.
Townsend was sentenced to six years in prison.
Robert Forbes
Robert Forbes who raided a shop armed with a screwdriver was caught after he called a taxi to help escape.
The crook also ditched his trousers in a bin during his getaway, which were traced back to him as they revealed his DNA.
The robber struck at the convenience store on Old Chester Road in Great Sutton, Ellesmere Port, on January 12 last year.
The cocaine and alcohol fuelled thug terrified a woman working in the shop, before making off with around £200 in cash.
The 40-year-old was later surrounded by police as he sat in his car on January 14 and rammed a patrol car parked behind him.
He surrendered after an officer aimed a Taser at him and admitted robbery, dangerous driving and driving without a licence and insurance.
Forbes was jailed for four years and two months.
Peter Yeung
'Evil' boyfriend Peter Yeung attacked his girlfriend numerous times before she took her own life.
He physically, emotionally and financially abused nurse Alexandra Reid, but told her no one would believe her if she reported him.
An inquest previously found Alexandra, known as Alex, chose to end her own life on February 24, 2020 because she feared no one would believe she was suffering at his hands.
Yeung denied assaulting "vulnerable" Alex, forcing members of her family to relive the abuse in court and defend her memory by assuring she was telling the truth.
The 35-year-old abuser throttled, kicked and burst the lip of Alex when they lived together in Wylva Road, Anfield, and even tried to phone the police to cover his tracks, claiming she would “make up” the attacks.
The former takeaway worker, of Park Road, Toxteth, was found guilty after a trial of two counts of assault and admitted criminal damage.
A judge said he was "calculating and thoroughly dishonest" while Alex's sister, Katy Reid, called Yeung "evil".
Yeung was jailed for six months.
Jamie Swindells and Kyle Williams
Drug dealer Jamie Swindells nicknamed "Scouse Jay" helped flood Ellesmere Port with heroin and cocaine.
The 28-year-old's home was raided by detectives at the end of a nine-month undercover operation last June in Merseyside and Cheshire.
Police discovered a Samurai sword, drug paraphernalia, a safe and a gold Rolex watch worth more than £10,000 at Swindells' home in Missouri Drive, Great Sankey, Warrington.
At the top of the gang's hierarchy was EncroChat user Mark Cavanagh, from Wallasey, jailed last September for 14 and a half years.
Swindells and his accomplice Kyle Williams, 20, of Colemere Court, Ellesmere Port, both admitted conspiracy to supply crack cocaine, with Swindells also admitting possessing cannabis with intent to supply.
Williams had one previous conviction for possession of a bladed article and cannabis in 2019.
Dad-of-one Swindells had 11 previous convictions for 33 offences, including possessing cocaine and heroin with intent to supply in 2009.
Swindells was jailed for seven years.
Williams was locked up for three years.
Robert Murray
Robert Murray took advantage of two teenage boys while he worked at a children's home in the 1970s.
He 'breached the trust' of his victims while he was employed at the home, abusing the boys on a number of occasions.
The 76-year-old was found guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault after putting his victims through the ordeal of a trial.
Jurors returned unanimous verdicts against the paedophile, of Harrismith Road in Fazakerley.
Murray was jailed for 11 years.
George Carpenter and Adam Achramowicz
Liverpool rapper George Carpenter bragged about a planned revenge attack then petrol bombed a woman's home.
Carpenter, aka Carpo, instructed an unknown male to throw a wine bottle full of petrol into a house in Edge Hill after an Instagram feud.
Prosecutors said the 33-year-old had "bad blood" with Tremaine Wiltshire, another Liverpool rapper known as Tremz.
Tremz shared a video of Carpenter's nan's home being attacked with missiles on his Instagram account on July 10 last year.
Carpenter then shared his own video, in which he detailed plans to "light up" a woman's home, who was the mum of a friend of Tremz.
The next day Adam Achramowicz picked up Carpenter and the unknown male from Milton Keynes in exchange for free drugs, then drove them to Liverpool and back. He also filled a container with petrol at a service station on the way.
The unknown male launched the petrol bomb into the woman's home at around 5.15am, after being told to do so by Carpenter.
Fortunately the woman was awake and the fire was put out, but she suffered burns to her hands and cuts to her feet.
Carpenter, of no fixed address, but previously of Walton, admitted committing arson with intent to endanger life.
He had nine previous convictions for 14 offences including sexual offences, robbery and drug dealing.
Carpenter was jailed for 12 years, with an extended two years on licence.
Achramowicz, 33, of Towpath Avenue, Northampton, admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.
He was jailed for four years.
Jason Hall
Liverpool University archaeologist Jason Hall tried to arrange sex with a 13-year-old girl while her mum watched.
The 50-year-old discussed how he wanted to molest the girl and even took a train to Chester to abuse the child.
But neither the woman nor her daughter were real and he was instead met by police waiting outside the station.
Officers searched his rucksack and found a pack of condoms and an Easter egg he bought for his intended victim.
When they searched his Greenbank Road, Mossley Hill home, police discovered more than 2,000 indecent images of children.
Hall, who had no previous convictions, was caught out by decoy undercover officers on an adult website from March to May 2018.
He admitted arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity, three counts of downloading indecent images and possessing extreme porn.
Hall was jailed for two years and eight months.
Graham Bell
Graham Bell held a lit blowtorch to his girlfriend's face after tipping nail varnish over her.
The "sadistic" bully lashed out at his partner after she returned from a shift working as a nurse.
The 22-year-old went through messages on her phone and accused her of 'slagging him off' on October 16, 2020.
He threw the phone at the woman, leaving her with a black eye, before kicking her and covering her in nail varnish remover.
The drunken coward held a lit blowtorch to her face and threatened: "No matter where you run I will find you."
While on bail for that offence, on December 18 he hit a female friend over the head with a glass bottle, then pinned her to the floor with his knees, held a knife above her and asked: "Do you want me to make you bleed?"
Bell, of Brookside Close, Prescot, who had no previous convictions, was convicted of causing actual bodily harm and wounding.
He was jailed for three and a half years.
Liam Cooney
Liam Cooney sent revenge porn to the iPad of his three-year-old son when he was drunk and high on cocaine.
He hacked into his ex girlfriend's social media accounts before locking her out so he could share the intimate photo.
The 33-year-old posted the picture of her performing a sex act on Instagram and Snapchat, which he said he found "cathartic".
After some time Instagram removed the picture, but Cooney posted it twice on Snapchat, where it could be seen for four days.
Cooney, of Halebank Road, Widnes, admitted three counts of disclosing private sexual photographs.
He had previous convictions for motoring offences, but nothing of a similar nature.
Cooney was jailed for 12 months.
Lee Andrews
Lee Andrews broke into a family's home when they were on holiday and stole a child's savings and XBox.
The 32-year-old targeted an address in St Helens at the end of July 2020, when he also took bottles of whisky worth £200.
A neighbour contacted the family when they realised that their gate was open, prompting a relative to visit and discover a smashed window, an "untidy search" and £600 of missing items.
Andrews, of no fixed address, said he raided the home to fund his heroin and crack cocaine addiction.
The crook, who had five previous convictions for nine offences, admitted one count of burglary.
He was jailed for 12 months.
Stephen Rimmer
Stephen Rimmer who has a history of battering women was cleared of pushing his girlfriend out of a second floor window.
Natalie O'Dea was left fighting for her life after she fell from her flat to a car park below during a row with Stephen Rimmer.
The mum-of-two was rushed into critical care with horrific injuries including multiple spine fractures and a collapsed lung on July 10 last year.
Prosecutors alleged Ms O'Dea was shoved out of the window by her then boyfriend Rimmer, a violent and controlling bully with convictions for repeatedly attacking her and other women in the past.
But the 37-year-old, of Crossway, Widnes, was acquitted by a jury of all but one of a string of alleged assaults, including charges which related to his now ex-partner's fall.
Rimmer was found not guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm, five counts of assault causing actual bodily harm and one count of common assault.
He was convicted of one count of common assault - an attack when he pushed Ms O'Dea in a street, in front of a witness.
Rimmer was jailed for three months.
Benjamin Goodrum
Benjamin Goodrum repeatedly raped a girl after grooming her over WhatsApp.
The 22-year-old used his vulnerable victim to satisfy his twisted desires then threatened her to stay quiet.
But the "horrendous" abuse came to light when her parents found sick messages from him on her phone.
These messages included a request from Goodrum, of Seacombe, Wirral, to see a picture of the child's bra.
The victim's mum later confronted Goodrum, who claimed he had twice touched her daughter inappropriately.
However, when police interviewed the victim, she revealed Goodrum carried out "a campaign of sexual abuse".
Goodrum, of previous good character, asked the child for naked pictures and sent her a photo of his penis and a video of him performing a sex act.
She agreed to send him a photo of herself in her bra, but then tried to ignore his messages, only for Goodrum to continue to pester her, until he molested and raped her on multiple occasions.
Goodrum admitted three counts of rape, three counts of attempted rape, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, three counts of sexual assault of a child, four counts of assault by penetration and one count of sexual activity with a child.
He was jailed for 10 years, with an extended one year on licence, as "an offender of particular concern".
Scott Flood
Scott Flood threatened to rape his girlfriend and burn down her home after drinking three Desperados with his breakfast.
The 33-year-old was drunk when he turned up at Jessica Williams' address in Kirkby, at around 4.30pm, on March 17, 2020.
Terrified, the victim hid in her bathroom and called a friend as Flood made the horrific threats after she refused to let him in.
When arrested, Flood, of Richard Kelly Drive, Walton, confessed to also drinking a bottle of Jagermeister that morning.
He was also arrested in Anfield on May 7 and found to be carrying cannabis after telling shop workers he was going to walk into traffic.
Flood, who had 31 previous convictions for 55 offences, was convicted of using threatening or abusive words and possessing cannabis.
He was jailed for four months.
Darren Ascroft
Drug dealer Darren Ascroft panicked when cornered by police and hurled his bike at an officer.
The 39-year-old was followed onto Coral Drive in Bootle after pedalling away from two police cars.
Officers told him to stop but he threw his bike at one officer, smashed his mobile phone on the ground and tried to hop over a garden fence.
However, he was found to have 30 to 50 wraps of both cocaine and heroin, at around 8.45pm, on January 18 this year.
Ascroft, of County Road, Walton, admitted possessing cocaine and heroin with intent to supply.
He was jailed for two years and 10 months.
Paul Albertsen
Prison officer Paul Albertsen stole thousands of pounds worth of electronics from the jail where he worked.
The 42-year-old, of Bermuda Road, Moreton, Wirral, took items from HMP Forest Bank before selling them on via Ebay or at CeX stores.
Albertsen and a co-accused prison officer stole DVDs and games consoles, which were used during workshop classes at the Salford jail.
Albertsen, a prison officer of 15 years, made £95,000 from the scheme, which involved three other bent prison guards now behind bars.
His lawyer said Albertsen who a judge said had previously given "commendable service", was unable to resist the "temptation".
Albertsen, who was an orderly officer, admitted theft from October 2015 to June 2017 and two counts of possessing criminal property.
He was jailed for 15 months.
Kayleigh Dolan
Kayleigh Dolan and her former soldier fiance Ashley McArthur carried out a petrol bomb attack on the home of her ex-boyfriend.
Dolan and McArthur crept up to Stephen Shaw's lounge window and hurled a firebomb onto a sofa as he was inside watching TV.
The victim, 20, suffered burns to his hands and legs and as he dashed into his garden to douse the flames in a paddling pool, heard McArthur shout: ''Ha, ha, got you.''
Mr Shaw's brothers, aged 11 and 16, plus his mother and stepfather were in the wrecked home in Middleton, near Rochdale, at the time.
Dolan, 20, of Hollybank Street, St Helens, had made threatening calls to Mr Shaw, who dumped her after learning she was dating McArthur.
This led to ''animosity'' between the two men, with Rochdale man McArthur - who had been thrown out of the Army for going absent without leave - warning the victim's mum: "I'm a trained killer."
Police discovered the victim had previously been shot with a BB gun and driven at with a car due to him previously dating the bride-to-be.
A court heard Dolan, who is now pregnant, admitted arson over the incident on June 10, 2020, plus affray. She was jailed for three years.
McArthur admitted arson, affray, assault, having a bladed article and dangerous driving. He was jailed for four years and 10 months.
Mark Davies
Mark Davies turned to drug dealing to fund his own cocaine addiction.
He was caught with dozens of wraps of cocaine and more than £2,000 in cash when police stopped his car in Southport.
The 38-year-old, was arrested in Southbank Road on October 19, 2019 with a near £3,300 stash of some 50 wraps.
Officers then searched his home in Upper Aughton Road, Southport and discovered a cannabis farm of eight plants.
The dad-of-three pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to supply and also producing cannabis.
He was jailed for three years and three months.
Gang of youths who shot teenage boy
A gang of boys hunted down and shot a teenager as he desperately tried to escape over a wall.
The victim, 17, climbed onto a wheelie bin when cornered in an alleyway by three youths, including an alleged gunman aged just 16.
But he was hit in the stomach by a bullet that perforated his bowel, fractured one of his vertebrae and narrowly missed his spine.
Half of his colon was removed as a result of the shooting, off Station Road near Cables Retail Park in Prescot, on January 20, 2020.
A judge said he believed the "chilling" attack - in front of children and shoppers at 4.50pm - was linked to a "gang related dispute".
Five boys, aged 13 to 16, none of whom can be named for legal reasons, were arrested and all denied attempted murder.
Two of the children were cleared of any wrongdoing, but three were convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm on the basis of "joint enterprise", meaning they were all equally culpable for the shooting.
Prosecutors said Boy A, a now 17-year-old from Huyton with no previous convictions, was the gunman.
He was locked up for seven years and nine months.
It was alleged Boy B, a now 16-year-old from Dovecot, was armed with a knife, which he produced in the alley.
Boy B, who had four convictions for seven offences including assaults and carrying a blade, was locked up for eight years and four months.
The court heard Boy C, a now 17-year-old from Huyton, who was with them in the alleyway, had nine past convictions for 18 offences.
They included street robberies and kidnappings when other youngsters were threatened with being stabbed, and carrying a blade.
Boy C was locked up for nine years, with an extended three years on licence.
Michael Miller
Michael Miller raided a family's home but fled thanks to a barking dog.
The 29-year-old was one of two men who tried to force their way into a house as a family slept upstairs.
The bungled break-in attempt happened in Widnes, at around 12.30am, on Monday, September 21, 2020.
But the men didn't count on the family's dog, whose barking woke its owners and frightened off the crooks.
CCTV footage showed the pair fleeing empty handed and Miller was arrested in Liverpool in December.
Miller, of Eversley, Widnes, admitted attempted burglary and was jailed for two years.
Ronnie Whitby
Ronnie Whitby trapped his girlfriend at the Adelphi Hotel and battered her after accusing her of sleeping with other guests.
The 29-year-old refused to let Claire Mawdsley leave their room at the venue in Ranelagh Place, Liverpool city centre.
The woman beater, who has 57 previous convictions for 90 offences, then inflicted two black eyes in a drunken rage.
The victim eventually managed to persuade Whitby to go to a shop at Lime Street Station, where she locked herself in a toilet and security staff were alerted to her sobbing, on February 12, 2020.
Whitby, of Boundary Street, Kirkdale, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and failing to surrender.
His criminal record includes robbery, an attack on an ex-partner, affray during the infamous 'White Man March' in Liverpool, and two previous assaults against Miss Mawdsley.
Whitby was jailed for 18 months.
Phillip Hajimichael
A DJ who stashed cocaine and Viagra at his mum's home was caught thanks to a faulty brake light on his Audi.
Phillip Hajimichael, better known as DJ Philly Hajy, plays house music, techno and disco at bars and nightclubs.
According to his Facebook profile, the former South Wirral High School pupil also promotes events across Merseyside.
But the 36-year-old had 22 wraps of cocaine hidden in his underpants when stopped by police on his way to a New Year's Eve party.
When officers searched his mum's address in Litherland the following day, they found more cocaine, Viagra, scales and snap bags.
Officers stopped his Audi A6 on St Domingo Road in Everton, at around 10.35pm on December 31, 2019, when they also seized two mobile phones and £558 in cash.
His mum's home in Bowland Drive was searched on January 1, 2020, taking the total amount of cocaine recovered to 20.4g, which police said had an estimated street value of up to £2,058 if cut with adulterant.
Hajimichael admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply and was jailed for two years.
Anthony Kelly
Anthony Kelly tried to bite a police officer when they wrestled in the street.
The 27-year-old was arrested for being drunk and disorderly after a boozy night out in Birkenhead.
Kelly, of Makin Street, Walton, grappled with a policeman and they both fell to the ground in Exmouth Street.
The officer sprayed Kelly with pepper spray, but inadvertently blinded himself and lost his handcuffs during the struggle.
When he finally managed to restrain him, the thug tried to sink his teeth into the officer's right arm, at around 10.30pm, on July 9 last year.
Kelly was already serving a suspended prison sentence, imposed in June 2019, for common assault, sending a threatening communication and possessing a blade, after attacking his girlfriend and threatening to "smash" her face in.
He admitted assaulting an emergency worker, being drunk and disorderly, and breaching his suspended sentence.
Kelly was jailed for seven months.
Thomas Peers
Thomas Peers rammed a man against shutters with his van and then slashed his neck with a machete.
The 29-year-old went on the terrifying rampage using his vehicle to chase David Howard then attacked him with the huge knife.
Peers pursued Mr Howard through Prescot streets on the morning of Sunday, July 19, 2020, before the victim sought refuge in a yard.
CCTV footage showed Peers using the van as a weapon to ram Mr Howard against roller shutters, before he staggered away.
Peers and another man then chased the victim on foot before Peers caught him in an alleyway and slashed him across the neck.
The victim was discovered in Eaton Street and rushed to hospital before Peers, of Woodlands Road, Roby, was arrested.
Peers was cleared of attempted murder but convicted of attempting to commit grievous bodily harm with intent, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and dangerous driving after a trial. He admitted possessing a bladed article.
He was jailed for 12 years, with an extended four years on licence.
Patrick Jones
Patrick Jones was injured by a homeowner armed with a knife during a burglary in Cheshire.
The 29-year-old, from Kirkby, and a second unknown man broke into a house in Warrington Road in Culcheth, near Warrington, on March 1 2019, while the owner had gone out for a meal.
But when the victim returned there was a confrontation between him and the two intruders, after which he told police he believed he'd injured the two burglars with a knife.
The homeowner was not charged with any offence.
Jones’ DNA was later found on the blade and he admitted two counts of burglary.
He was jailed for a total of four years and nine months for his part in the raid in Culcheth and a second burglary at a garage in Preston.
John Dunbar
Convicted rapist John Dunbar hurled "vile" racist insults at Christmas shoppers.
Dunbar, aka Stuart Partington, was filmed in Liverpool One launching a tirade of abuse at three Asian men on December 2.
The 57-year-old was captured on camera hurling insults such as "c***s" and "horrible b******s" at passers-by at around 5pm.
Dunbar initially followed two Asian men while telling people to "f*** off" and saying he was Muslim, then yelled insults about Muslims.
When challenged by onlookers, Dunbar told people that he had just been released from jail, after serving 26 years in prison.
Dunbar, who has 26 previous convictions for 60 offences, was jailed for eight years for rape in 1991, then released in 1995.
That year he robbed female staff in four shops with a knife and imitation gun, sexually assaulting one victim, and also indecently assaulted two men, resulting in a life sentence with a recommended eight years in prison.
Dunbar, of Great Howard Street, Liverpool city centre, admitted two counts of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour, and one count of resisting or obstructing a constable, assaulting an emergency worker, possession of a bladed article and racially aggravated harassment.
He was jailed for three years.
David Moriarty
David Moriarty failed to comply with the requirements of the Sex Offenders Register.
The pervert was placed on the register for seven years after he was jailed for exposure in October 2015.
One of the terms of the order was that the 69-year-old should notify police of any change of address within three days.
But he repeatedly breached the terms of the register, most recently in October of last year, when he failed to notify police he was of no fixed address, after being released from prison for a drug offence.
The court heard he had "an appalling record of compliance with the order" having failed to follow its requirements eight times.
Moriarty, who has 44 previous convictions for 81 offences, was jailed for 18 weeks.
Andrew Annette and James Rendell
A teenage boy who repeatedly swung a machete at another youth at a shopping centre received no punishment.
The 15-year-old was captured on camera chasing an unknown male with a two foot blade at Pyramids Birkenhead.
He was arrested after terrifying scenes unfolded in front of horrified shoppers on Wednesday, September 11, 2019.
The boy, now 17, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged with affray and possessing a bladed article.
Two older thugs, Andrew Annette, 32, and James Rendell, 35, were jailed for their part in the shocking disturbance, at around 10.50am.
Annette and the youth - who was brandishing the machete - chased the victim, after Rendell had earlier been seen waving a large kitchen knife.
Rendell, of Bullens Road, Walton, but formerly of Birkenhead, who admitted affray and possessing a bladed article - namely a kitchen knife - had previous convictions for possessing an offensive weapon, assault, wounding and public disorder.
Annette, of Seabank Road, New Brighton, who admitted affray and breach of bail, had previous convictions for public disorder and assaults.
Rendell was jailed for 16 months and Annette for 15 months.
The machete wielding teen was dealt with by police using an out of court disposal (OOCD) - usually reserved for low-level crime and anti-social behaviour like graffiti or criminal damage.
The two charges against him were then withdrawn by prosecutors when he appeared at Liverpool Youth Court.
Merseyside Police said the Crown Prosecution Service and Youth Offending Team decided prosecuting the boy "wasn't in the public interest" because of his previous "good character" and "positive" engagement since the incident.
Jason Franey
Knife wielding Jason Franey who terrorised a newsagents was slashed by a shop worker with a large machete.
The convicted robber and burglar demanded £20,000 from Sallem Alaqel, who owns Sam's Local Store in Kensington, in 2020.
He threatened to burn down his shop, to "get" his son after school, and to knife him and worker Abdullah Hussein on November 11.
But when Franey returned on December 5 and attacked Mr Hussein, he defended himself with a large blade hidden under a counter.
CCTV footage showed Mr Hussein slash Franey's left wrist and forehead - breaking bones and slicing open an artery.
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Police followed the trail of blood to arrest the crook, who has been left unable to sleep at night in jail because of his "trauma".
Mr Hussein was not charged with any offence in relation to the incident.
Franey, 31, of Sutcliffe Street, Kensington, who has 28 previous convictions for 70 offences, admitted blackmail, wounding, two counts of having a bladed article, intimidating a witness, criminal damage and threatening to damage or destroy property.
He was jailed for six and a half years.
Adam Murphy
Adam Murphy was part of a notorious gang that used gas to blow up ATMs leaving a £1.5m trail of destruction.
Brothers Andrew and Anthony White's firm deployed gas tanks to break into cash machines and roared off at speeds of up to 150mph.
They blasted open around 30 cash points across the North West and Midlands in 2013, but were eventually traced to a hide-out at a house in Sandy Meadows, Huyton, just hours after a raid in September that year.
Seven men were previously jailed for a total of 92 years over the plot, but Murphy spent nearly seven years on the run.
During that time the fugitive was spotted in a stolen Audi S5 with a woman on Sheil Road, at around 2.15am, on May 4, 2015.
He was chased by police and went through red lights before he crashed into a roundabout on Townsend Avenue and fled on foot, leaving his passenger seriously injured in the car.
Murphy, of no fixed address, was eventually arrested by police in December 2019.
He was found guilty after a trial of conspiracy to cause explosions and conspiracy to burgle, and convicted of aggravated vehicle taking and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Murphy was jailed for 17 years.
Lawrence Barnes
Lawrence Barnes left a scooter rider with brain injuries after speeding away from police at 90mph.
The 21-year-old was behind the wheel of a stolen Vauxhall Zafira in Kirkby, at around 8pm, on July 16, 2019.
He drove into oncoming traffic on the dual carriageway and crashed into scooter rider Gabriel Marques, then fled on foot.
The victim, who also suffered a broken skull and cheekbone, a bruised lung and a wound to his right foot, will be on medication for life, cannot work and his mum has had to move from Brazil to care for him.
Barnes, of Byton Walk, Kirkby, was caught that evening, when he had a bag of ketamine and confessed to taking cocaine the night before.
He admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, handling stolen property and possessing ketamine.
Barnes was jailed for two years and 10 months.
Alexander Nyarashe
Alexander Nyarashe who was caught flushing drugs down a toilet had made 'drill' rap music videos confessing to his crimes.
The 22-year-old, from Jubilee Drive in Kensington, was part of a county lines gang who flooded Carlisle with crack cocaine and heroin, which were advertised on a phone number ending in '666'.
Police identified members of the gang who were using the 'Red Line' to brand the drugs they were selling between May 4 and 18, 2020.
Officers traced the 'Red Line' phone to an address on Millholme Avenue in Carlisle on May 19, when they caught Nyarashe red handed.
Along with messages related to drug dealing, officers discovered "drill" rap music lyrics on Nyarashe's phone, in which he boasted of carrying guns and machetes, flogging drugs, and also claimed to have stabbed and shot gang rivals in Liverpool.
Nyarashe admitted supplying crack cocaine and heroin.
He was jailed for three and a half years.
Fartam Bassiri
Fartam Bassiri was caught with child and animal abuse images at his family's home which he sent across Europe.
One of three videos of child rape sent by the dad-of-three involved two boys engaged in a sexual act with a donkey.
Police found 30 indecent images of children on Bassiri's laptop when they raided his home in Warrington in December 2018.
The 46-year-old, of Keyes Close, Birchwood, also had two still images of extreme pornography involving animals and six videos.
Bassiri, who had no previous convictions, admitted three counts of downloading, three counts of distributing and one count of possessing indecent images of children. He also pleaded guilty to possessing extreme pornographic images.
However, he claimed he didn't have a sexual interest in children and shared the sickening files out of "disgust".
But a judge said he didn't believe his excuses and jailed him for 20 months.
Jack Brooke
Jack Brooke randomly assaulted an innocent OAP in an unprovoked and horrifying attack.
The "despicable" incident happened when the 81-year-old victim was walking alone in Warrington on October 22, 2020.
Brooke, 22, grabbed hold of the pensioner and punched him two or three times in the head, knocking him to the ground.
The victim suffered a bruised ear and has endured repeated headaches and flashbacks since the ordeal.
Brooke, of Kingsway South in Latchford, Warrington, was convicted of assault and also criminal damage, relating to a separate incident in August 2020, when he broke a window at a house with a plant pot.
He was jailed for 18 weeks.
Paul Boardman and Terry Hathaway
Paul Boardman and Terry Hathaway went on a terrifying robbery spree targeting coffee shops and bakeries.
The pair raided seven stores including Starbucks, Costa and Greggs in November and December of last year.
Two further attempted robberies were foiled, while Boardman carried out two more robberies without his accomplice.
Victims, including female staff, outlined how their harrowing ordeals left them suffering from anxiety and panic attacks.
Incidents included raids at Starbucks on East Lancs Road, Greggs at Edge Lane and Aintree retail parks, and Costa on Allerton Road.
Together the men, who were also prosecuted for attempted robberies in Woolton and Hunts Cross, took more than £11,000.
Further robberies at the Starbucks on Speke Boulevard and Greggs on East Prescot Road only involved Boardman.
Boardman, of Peckmill Green, Netherley, admitted conspiracy to rob, robbery and breaching a suspended sentence for two burglaries.
The 44-year-old, who has 17 convictions for 51 offences, was jailed for eight and a half years.
Hathaway, of Parkview Drive, also in Netherley, admitted conspiracy to rob.
The 40-year-old, whose previous convictions include robbery, was jailed for 10 and a half years.
Shaun Done
Shaun Done ferried cocaine and cannabis in his taxi across Merseyside.
His double life came toppling down when he was outed as 'NuttyLeopard' - his alias used on encrypted messaging service EncroChat.
The private hire driver with Britannia Taxis in Huyton claimed that when work dried up because of the pandemic, he turned to crime.
The 25-year-old transported drugs and money to and from safe houses and locations across Merseyside from March to June last year.
Police stopped Done, of previous good character, on St Johns Road in Huyton on November 10 and discovered three mobile phones.
They then searched his home in Beech Road, Huyton and found £27,883 stashed in various places including dirty washing baskets.
The dad-of-one, now of Homestead Close, Huyton, admitted conspiracies to supply cocaine and cannabis, and to possess criminal property.
He was jailed for seven years and nine months.
Daniel Flanagan
Daniel Flanagan robbed an Aldi supermarket at knifepoint then claimed he had been threatened with gang rape to do it.
The 22-year-old entered the store, in Derby Road, Widnes, at around 8.30pm on November 23, 2020, wearing a hood and face mask.
He queued up, then when he got to a counter demanded two terrified workers fill his 'bag for life' with cash and produced a bread knife.
Flanagan, of Rivenmill Way, Widnes, made off with £640, but thanks to a brave member of the public who followed the crook, police were able to catch him and recover the knife, some cannabis and two hammers.
He later claimed he had been threatened with violence including gang rape over a cocaine debt so had no choice but to raid the shop.
Flanagan admitted robbery, having a bladed article in public, and possessing cannabis.
He was jailed for two years and eight months.
Robert Patterson
Robert Patterson hurled a mug full of faeces in a female prison officer's hair then laughed at her ordeal.
The convict was jailed for life after slashing one man across the face and slicing open another victim's arm.
Then 31, he was told to serve a minimum of six years behind bars when sentenced for a brutal rampage in 1999.
But he has spent most of the last 22 years behind bars and was recalled to HMP Altcourse in Fazakerly again last January.
The 53-year-old targeted the victim, who the ECHO has chosen not to name, on the prison's Canal Blue unit on July 28, 2020.
He struck at around 8.45am and later laughed and grinned at the woman, who was "shocked and disgusted by the incident".
Patterson, formerly of Hillside Road, Blacon, Chester, admitted unlawfully and maliciously administering a noxious thing.
He was jailed for two years.
Jamie Moylan
Jamie Moylan whose motorbike broke down was found with wads of cash in his tracksuit bottoms and bags of cannabis under his seat.
The ECHO previously reported how the 26-year-old shattered both of his legs after falling from a balcony while on a 'dream holiday'.
His family said they were raising funds to pay hospital bills and to fly him home, after he plunged from a balcony in Turkey in September.
But it later emerged the dad-of-one is a convicted cocaine and ecstasy dealer who was awaiting sentence over an incident on May 26.
Police arrested him after he pulled up in St Catherines Gardens, Birkenhead and told police he was "having problems with his motorbike".
Moylan - previously locked up for three years for dealing cocaine and MDMA in 2015 - admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply.
The dealer, of Borough Road, Birkenhead, was jailed for 10 months.
Michael McDonagh
Michael McDonagh carved his cousin's back open with a Stanley knife when a wedding erupted into chaos.
CCTV footage showed fists flying when McDonagh and his victim Michael Ward's respective families clashed in Netherton.
Mr Ward said that he believed his dad was about to fight McDonagh's dad outside Our Lady of Walsingham Parish Club.
But the victim was chased across the car park by McDonagh, 24, who slashed through his shirt, inflicting "horror" injuries.
The "unprovoked" attack, said to be linked to a family feud over a dog, took place shortly before 6pm, on May 21, 2019.
Afterwards McDonagh fled in a car with his dad and he wasn't caught until nearly a year later, when he walked into a police station.
McDonagh, of Carr Lane, Norris Green, admitted wounding with intent and possessing an offensive weapon on the opening day of a trial.
He had five previous convictions for seven offences, but none for violence.
McDonagh was jailed for 11 and a half years.
