A murderer who stabbed her boyfriend to death, a former Liverpool FC footballer and a teacher were among the Merseyside criminals jailed this week.
Also locked up was a pervert who posed a doctor to sexually assault an elderly A&E patient at the Royal Liverpool Hospital. Meanwhile, Liverpool Crown Court heard that a robber who raided a pharmacy was hit over the head with a plank of wood by a have-a-go hero delivery driver.
Here are the faces of 19 criminals who were imprisoned in our region in the past week:
READ MORE: Murderer jailed for 18 years for killing boyfriend after night in the pub
Layton Maxwell
The former Liverpool FC player was jailed for his part in a huge EncroChat drug conspiracy.
Ex-Reds midfielder Layton Maxwell was 19 when he scored during his debut at Anfield in 1999 but has now been jailed for eight years for his part in the plot. He was one of 14 men sentenced to a total of 140 years.
The gang members, using encrypted devices, organised the distribution of multi kilograms of cocaine and heroin and the collection and transport of significant quantities of cash. More than 50kg of the class A substances and £700,000 of cash was seized as part of an investigation into the ring.
After signing for Cardiff City on a free transfer in 2001, Maxwell enjoyed an encouraging start to life at Ninian Park before being loaned to Barry Town in 2003. He dropped through the divisions and ultimately finished his career with spells at Rhyl, Bagnor City, Caernarfon Town, Aberaman Athletic and Barry Town before becoming an engineer for Vodafone.
Emma Walsh
The killer, who fatally stabbed her boyfriend in the heart after a night in the pub, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years.
Emma Walsh knifed Gary Morgan to death on the evening of April 10 this year. They had earlier visited the Belmont pub to watch Liverpool FC's 2-2 draw with Manchester City on the television before staying for karaoke night.
The couple returned to their bungalow on Lavan Close in Everton at around 10pm, where she killed the tradesman in a "drink-fuelled, explosive rage". Their year-long relationship had been marred by Walsh subjecting him to domestic abuse.
The 31-year-old was unanimously convicted of murder by a jury after only one hour and 37 minutes of deliberations.
Christopher Traynor
The army veteran, traumatised on the battlefields of Afghanistan, was roped into helping drugs barons import kilos of heroin from Amsterdam stashed inside furniture.
Christopher Traynor, who had a record of "exemplary military service" in the Royal Mercian Regiment, was caught after a Border Force officer opened a package under the name 'Frank de Boer' and found 2.5kg of the class A drug inside a pouffe. Liverpool Crown Court heard seeing his "friends maimed" in fierce battles left Traynor, of Lightbound Road, in Tranmere, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and a spiralling cocaine addiction.
The former infantryman ran up an unpayable debt to his dealers and was roped into working for a gang selling heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, ketamine and 2C-B. On February 23 this year, a Border Force UK officer was on shift at a DPD depot in Birmingham when he spotted an illicit package - containing nearly £150,000 of the former substance - posted to the UK from Amsterdam addressed to the 30-year-old.
Traynor admitted importing heroin, possession of cocaine, MDMA, ketamine and 2C-B with intent to supply and possessing criminal property. He was jailed for nine-and-a-half years.
Craig Bakker
A street dealer who smoked cannabis daily from the age of 13 was caught with a knife for the second time in just over a year.
Craig Bakker was spotted walking along Poulton Road, in Wallasey, at around 3pm on December 9 last year. Liverpool Crown Court heard the teenager came to the attention of plain clothes police officers on patrol in the area.
The then 19-year-old appeared "visibly shocked and startled" by the sudden appearance of the officers. He was searched and a lock knife with a "very sharp" five-inch blade was recovered from his pockets alongside three bags of cannabis and a graft phone.
Bakker was convicted of being concerned in the supply of cannabis and possession of a bladed article in a public place. He was jailed for a total of 326 days in prison.
Kane Harrison
A thug pulled his mum out of bed by her hair before dragging her downstairs and kicking her front teeth out.
Kane Harrison pleaded guilty to assaulting his mum, Holly Jane Deacon, at her home in Walton in August this year. The court heard that Harrison arrived at the property and started drunkenly shouting up to his mum who was in bed.
The 27-year-old, of no fixed address, then went upstairs to wake her before pulling her by the hair and then dragging her downstairs. He went on to kick her forcefully in the face and also stamped on her neck.
When police arrived at the house they found blood stains on the wall and on the floor. The force of the kick to the face meant Ms Deacon lost two teeth in the attack, saying afterward “she thought she was going to die”.
Harrison blamed his alcohol dependence for the assault but initially denied the allegation, alleging that his mum had fallen over or was making things up. He was jailed for 15 months.
John Murphy
Murphy and his paedophile pal were rumbled by the latter's girlfriend after she discovered a horrifying log of their sickening chats.
John Murphy shared his vile stash of material over WhatsApp with other depraved individuals, including pervert bus driver David Owens. They were exposed after the latter's long-term partner became suspicious and checked his phone, revealing to her shock that they had secretly been discussing their desire to sexually abuse children.
An analysis of Murphy's own phone revealed a number of indecent images while he had also distributed some. The 68-year-old said upon his arrest: "I only speak to people who want to get involved in that sort of thing."
Murphy admitted three counts of distributing indecent images, possession of indecent images and three charges of making indecent images. He was jailed for 25 months.
Mark Rooney
The thug burst into his ex-girlfriend's house brandishing a baseball bat while she was in the shower then threatened to crash into the shop where she worked.
Mark Rooney then went on to form a new relationship but attacked this partner too. The 35-year-old threw a can of beer at his second victim's head at a campsite and said he wanted to burn her face with a barbeque before knocking her out.
He did this by hitting her with her own phone. The railway worker also sent a naked picture of the former to a friend.
Rooney admitted two counts of harassment, threatening to disclose private sexual photographs, disclosing private sexual photographs and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was jailed for 42 weeks.
Robert Case
The “manipulative and controlling” builder used cocaine to try and lure young girls into taking part in sexual acts.
Robert Case was convicted of a slew of sexual offences and abuse that dated back seven years. The court heard how the 42-year-old, of Croxteth Hall Lane, Liverpool, would “snort” cocaine and use the substance to try and lure girls under the age of 16 into sexual acts.
On one occasion, he was driving in the car with a 10-year-old girl when he tried to “put his hand down her pants”. Another time, the pervert was at his home with a teenage girl when he offered her drugs before “pursing her” and making a number of unwanted sexual advances.
Case was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison. Shouts of “get in” could be heard from the public gallery when he was placed on the sex offenders' register for life.
Kieran Parkinson
The pervert abused a child and filmed his wife having sex with their pet dog.
Kieran Parkinson groomed the boy with promises of paying him cash, then performed a sex act on himself as the youngster watched. Police also uncovered a series of depraved Facebook chats between him and his wife Mary in which they discussed raping and assaulting children.
The 36-year-old once stood rubbing his private parts in the boy's presence for several minutes. The paedophile denied this had been sexually-motivated and claimed that he had actually been itching himself.
Parkinson was found guilty of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and causing a child to watch a sexual act after a trial and admitted three counts of possession of extreme pornographic images. He was jailed for two-and-a-half years.
Adel Hussain
The dangerous driver left a student for dead lying in the road "as if she was nothing" after a horrific crash.
Freya Griffiths had her jaw smashed on both sides and suffered an agonising broken right leg after speeding driver, Adel Hussain, ploughed into her on Bagot Street, Wavertree, shortly after midnight on November 25 last year. After knocking the 21-year-old victim into the air over the bonnet of his Volkswagen Golf, he accelerated away without stopping or returning.
The driver claimed he thought he had clipped a wing mirror and did not realise he had struck anyone but a judge rejected his story. Miss Griffiths, now 22, spoke of how she feared she was doing to die at the scene.
Hussain, of Prescot Road, Old Swan, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, failing to stop after an accident and obstructing a police constable in the execution of his duty. The 34-year-old was jailed for two years.
Alexander Park
A “paedophile hunter sting” caught the 43-year-old man attempting to purchase a bikini for a child and arrange a trip to the swimming baths.
Alexander Park, of Old Chester Road, in Tranmere, was targeted by a decoy posing as a 13-year-old girl. The account received messages from him indicating his desires to be “washed” by the youngster and to “touch her bottom”.
Park planned to meet her in Birkenhead on two separate occasions in January, the first involving a meeting at Birkenhead Park. The second would see them meet at Conway Park Station before heading to Europa Pools swimming baths.
Park admitted several sexual offences. He was jailed for two years and four months.
David Madeley
A man woke to find another man performing a sex act on him after being offered somewhere to stay after a night out.
Bar manager David Madeley admitted sexually assault. The 34-year-old had gone out for drinks and later offered the victim a place to sleep.
Sleeping fully clothed, he woke in the night to find the pervert had pulled down his trousers and underwear and was performing a sex act. A scuffle broke out between the two which saw bottles broken as the complainant tried to recover his clothes.
He fled the property and flagged down a police car. Madeley was jailed for a year.
Edward Williams
The thug shouted “you f****** little rat, watch what happens now” before running into a hardware store and brandishing an axe during a fight in a town centre.
Edward Williams was leaving a barber's shop in Prescot in February when he noticed a man walking down the street with the two men immediately squaring up to fight. Moments later, CCTV footage showed the 30-year-old running into a hardware store situated behind him and emerging holding an axe.
The video captured him swinging the weapon but not connecting with any of the blows. The court heard that the male who Williams threatened was connected to a “gang” which had “terrorised the defendant for 13 years".
He was convicted of affray and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. A sentence of six months in prison was handed down.
Derek Wiswall
A woman allowed a paedophile to stay at her home following his release from prison only for him to beat her black and blue three days later.
Derek Wiswall formed a relationship with his victim while he was behind bars. But when the 33-year-old was freed from custody and went to reside with her, he spat at her and punched her to the floor - falsely believing that she was having an affair.
Wiswall has three previous convictions for eight offences being jailed for seven months in October 2020 for possession of indecent images. In February 2022, he received 18 weeks for failing to comply with notification requirements as part of this sentence and committed his latest crimes after being released on licence from this stretch.
The pervert admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage. He was locked up for 16 months.
Liam Power
The school teacher kicked his ex’s partner in the face when on the floor leading to a loss of vision in his left eye.
Liam Power was convicted of wounding with intent when he kicked Joseph Ryan in the face when he was lying on the floor after an altercation. The court heard that the 29-year-old, of Elaine Street, in Toxteth, kicked the victim so hard his vision had been significantly damaged - leading to difficulties in his work.
He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after being convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm.
Carl Llewellyn
A have-a-go hero delivery driver hit the robber on the head with a plank of wood after he raided a pharmacy armed with a knife.
Carl Llewellyn was also tackled by a chemist after storming the premises and demanding money and drugs. He targeted Green Cross Pharmacy in Bewsey, Warrington, at around 10.15am on July 5 this year. Llewellyn left with only a few packs of diazepam following the robbery.
The third-time offender admitted robbery and possession of a bladed article in a public place. He was jailed for six years.
Carl Mello
An undercover police operation helped to bring down "Macca line" drug dealers who inflicted “misery” through the supply of cocaine and heroin.
Operation Ground targeted a number of “graft phones” linked to the supply of cocaine and heroin in Wirral. Carl Mello, of Cheapside, in Liverpool city centre, was jailed for his part in the drug operation.
The 35-year-old was previously convicted of manslaughter after accidentally shooting his best friend dead. Mello was jailed for four-and-half years.
Carl Burger
The pervert posed as a doctor in order to sexually assault a hospital patient in her 80s.
The grandma was asleep in her cubicle in the A&E department of the Royal Liverpool Hospital when Carl Burger targeted her, falsely telling her he was a medical professional who was performing an examination. The attack only stopped when he was disturbed by a nurse.
It came just over two months after he had groped another victim as she slept. The severely disabled woman was asleep on her sofa and woke to find Burger groping her left breast underneath her pyjama top
The 55-year-old admitted two counts of sexual assault. He was jailed for three years.
David Demeter
The pervert followed a woman as she walked home at night then sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl in the street.
David Demeter ran away scared when the teenager fought back after he groped her. The 31-year-old then punched and kicked her her and her friend.
He later laughed when quizzed about the incident by police. It came only weeks after he had attempted to break into a woman's flat by prising the bedroom window open with a piece of wood.
Demeter admitted attempted burglary and was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault, three charges of assault and a public order offence. He was jailed for four-and-a-half years.
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