Adam Everett

Christopher Gibson, 44, followed Rory Murphy into a Seaforth convenience store and stabbed him in the shoulder with a six-inch kitchen knife after mistakenly suspecting him of an earlier assault. Murphy suffered a relatively minor injury but reported increased anxiety, distrust and sleep difficulties. Gibson, who has paranoid schizophrenia and was experiencing auditory hallucinations, admitted attempted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possessing a bladed article. Liverpool Crown Court imposed a section 37/41 hospital order, meaning he cannot be released until deemed safe by the Ministry of Justice.

Pedro Gomes, 24, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to four years in prison after admitting supplying heroin and crack cocaine and possessing both drugs with intent to supply. Police found 405 packages of crack cocaine and 155 packages of heroin, worth more than £5,000, at a flat in Wigan where a terminally ill woman lived, in what the court described as cuckooing. Gomes had also operated the “Mitch” county-lines-style drug line across Merseyside and Greater Manchester, supplying drugs worth up to about £25,000. The judge warned that another class A drug-trafficking conviction could trigger a minimum seven-year sentence, while Gomes’s defence cited his drug dependence, mental-health difficulties, previous care experience and plans to seek construction work after the birth of his first child.

Candace DeSilva, 37, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving and assaulting an emergency worker after driving her Range Rover away from a roadside alcohol test while a police officer clung to the vehicle. The officer suffered serious lifelong physical and psychological injuries. Liverpool Crown Court sentenced DeSilva to 28 months in prison, suspended for two years, citing the impact immediate imprisonment would have on her four children, two of whom have special educational needs. Her employer, the Royal College of Physicians, said it was taking appropriate action after learning of the conviction.

Thomas Britnell was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to 28 months in prison after admitting making threats with an offensive weapon and threats to kill his bedbound girlfriend. During a 999 call, he described himself as being like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde before holding a steak knife to her throat and repeatedly stabbing toward her head; she avoided injury, and the knife struck the pillow. Police found him pinning her down while still holding the weapon. Britnell had a history of knife possession, violent offences, a previous stabbing conviction, and breaches of a restraining order involving the same victim. The court also imposed an indefinite restraining order preventing him from contacting her.

Garage owner Bradley Thompson was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to 14 years in prison after admitting conspiracy to supply heroin, cocaine and cannabis, conspiracy to produce heroin and two counts of possessing criminal property. Using the EncroChat handle “Mind Waiter,” he was linked to discussions involving 135kg of heroin, 6kg of cocaine and 10kg of cannabis, with his identity exposed through personal details in messages and device evidence. Police later seized £24,500, luxury watches and goods, and vehicles from his home. The defence argued that Thompson acted under the direction of the user “Loyal Owl,” cited his health problems and rehabilitation, and said he was not the conspiracy’s leader. The judge concluded that Thompson had organized commercial-scale drug activity, maintained significant influence and expected substantial financial gain.

Natalie Riley admitted burglarising the Liverpool home of a man with advanced dementia after allegedly tricking him into believing she was his daughter. The victim’s niece saw Riley on home CCTV, confronted her through the system’s intercom and alerted authorities. Riley searched the property and took washing-up tablets and fabric softener. Liverpool Crown Court heard of her extensive criminal record and class A drug addiction, which her defence linked to grief and relapse. Judge Neil Flewitt KC described the offence as particularly mean and sentenced Riley to three years in prison, along with a five-year restraining order.

Billy Rutter, 38, was jailed for two years by Liverpool Crown Court after admitting wounding without intent, assaulting a police officer, driving without due care and possessing a bladed article. He ran a red light in Birkenhead while apparently intoxicated, struggled with PC Gary Stoddart after his van broke down and fractured the officer's shoulder, leaving him off work for three months and requiring later surgery. Rutter also resisted arrest, attempted to spit at another officer and had a craft knife in his van. The judge cited his extensive criminal record, alcohol use, knife possession and high risk of future violence, rejecting a suspended sentence despite his stated wish to change his lifestyle.

Elaine Murtagh, a 64-year-old residential support worker from St Helens, was found guilty at Liverpool Crown Court of pulling the hair of a severely disabled, non-verbal 15-year-old wheelchair user in her care. Prosecutors said Murtagh also verbally abused the girl and pulled her hair in retaliation after the teenager grabbed Murtagh’s hair and necklace. Murtagh denied the allegations, saying she had never hurt the girl and had only touched or joked about her hair. She was released on bail and will be sentenced on September 11, 2026.

Pub landlord Anthony Muir was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to 15 months in prison, suspended, after being convicted of intentionally strangling his former partner at the Prince George pub in Fazakerley. CCTV showed him grabbing her throat with enough force to knock her from a bar stool, shouting at her and later driving erratically before she escaped and contacted police. The victim said the assault left her fearful, traumatised and concerned she might die. Judge Katherine Pierpoint described the incident as serious domestic violence aggravated by alcohol and jealousy, but suspended the sentence because of rehabilitation prospects and its potential effect on Muir’s nine-year-old son. Muir was also ordered to complete unpaid work, undertake rehabilitation activities, abstain from alcohol, comply with a restraining order and pay court costs.

Candace Desilva was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting causing serious injury by dangerous driving and assaulting an emergency worker. While over the drink-drive limit, she drove away in her Range Rover with police officer Simon Ward clinging to the vehicle, dragged him several car lengths and struck at him before being incapacitated with PAVA spray. Ward suffered permanent leg and nerve injuries, PTSD and was forced into desk-based duties. Desilva received a 28-month sentence suspended for two years, 140 hours of unpaid work, rehabilitation requirements and a three-year driving ban. The judge described her conduct as appalling but suspended the sentence because she has four children, two with special educational needs.

Sixteen defendants from Merseyside and surrounding areas received sentences totaling 54 years and four months during the previous week. The cases included Nathan Owen’s fabricated brake-failure report and dangerous motorway chase, Joseph McCollum’s links to illegal firearms, Deborah Swift’s theft and workplace fraud, Ronnie Beardmore’s drug and weapons operation, and James Murray’s prolonged domestic abuse of his former partner. Other defendants were jailed or given suspended sentences for prison drug smuggling, burglary, drug dealing, theft, public disorder and a violent street brawl in which Connor Kelly suffered part of his ear being bitten off.

Kieran Scholes, now 21, was identified as one of two teenagers who severely attacked retired police officer and University of Chester lecturer David Browne on New Brighton Promenade in 2021, leaving him with permanent brain damage and ending his career. Scholes and the other attacker received sentences of about five years for wounding with intent. The article also reports Scholes's conviction for wounding with intent and affray after a later brawl in New Brighton in which Connor Kelly suffered a partial ear amputation. Scholes will be sentenced after a psychiatric report, while Corey Scholes, Abbey Rowlands, Joseph McCarthy-Harrington, Kelly and Leon Lowe received sentences ranging from suspended terms and fines to 12 months in prison.

A violent confrontation outside Tower Stores in New Brighton, Wirral, involved brothers Kieran and Corey Scholes chasing and attacking Connor Kelly, who suffered a partial ear amputation. The fight expanded to include Joseph McCarthy-Harrington and Leon Lowe, while Abbey Rowlands drove her car into the disturbance after her vehicle was damaged by a wine bottle. Liverpool Crown Court handed suspended sentences to Scholes, Rowlands and McCarthy-Harrington, while Kelly and Lowe received prison terms. Kieran Scholes was convicted of wounding with intent and affray and will be sentenced later.

Christopher Crotty, 38, was jailed for 22 months after admitting four aggravated public order offences and criminal damage committed within hours of his release from prison. He had gone to the North Western JD Wetherspoon pub on Liverpool's Lime Street, where he drank alcohol, clashed with police, threatened officers, used homophobic abuse and spat in a police van. The sentence activated an earlier 18-month suspended term imposed for burglary, theft and attempted theft after a spree targeting McDonald's and other city-centre locations. Judge David Potter said Crotty had squandered the opportunity given to him and that immediate custody was the only option.

Five men from London and Liverpool were sentenced after acting together to steal mobile phones from two vulnerable victims in Liverpool city centre. Ahmed Mohammed, 19, physically took both phones and was sentenced to 22 months in a young offenders’ institution; he had also previously imported 18kg of cannabis from Asia, worth up to £420,000 at street value. Hussein Hassan and Mohamed Yusuf each received 16 months, Abdullahi Osman received two years and two months for theft and possessing a knife, and Ayuub Hassan received a suspended 14-month sentence. The judge described the offences as planned attacks targeting people who were intoxicated or alone.

Joseph McCollum was sentenced to six years in prison after admitting possession of two prohibited firearms and ammunition. His DNA was found on multiple parts of an Uzi-style automatic weapon and a Makarov pistol recovered during a Merseyside Police search of Paul Wilson’s home in Dovecot. The pistol had been used in a 2019 shooting, while the Uzi was test-fired successfully in semi-automatic and fully automatic modes. The judge said McCollum’s possession of firearms supported serious criminals and warranted a lengthy deterrent sentence. Wilson, the homeowner, had previously received a four-year sentence for firearms, ammunition and cannabis offences.

Nathan Owen was jailed for four years and three months after admitting dangerous driving and two counts of fraud by false representation. He falsely claimed that his Jaguar I-Pace had accelerated uncontrollably and lost its brakes, prompting a 38-mile high-speed police pursuit across the M58, M57 and M62. The vehicle struck a police car 31 times, but investigators found no mechanical fault and evidence showed Owen remained in control. He had devised the scheme to escape an unaffordable finance agreement and later sold the false account to newspapers, causing significant reputational harm to Jaguar Land Rover. No one was injured, but the judge said the incident created an obvious risk of catastrophe.

Sixteen Merseyside defendants were jailed over the preceding week for offences including firearms possession, drive-by shooting, drug trafficking, domestic abuse, assault and dangerous driving, receiving a combined 102 years and 10 months in prison. A gang linked to a shooting and a separate £5 million drug network received lengthy sentences, while Alexander Pearce was jailed for shipping thousands of illicit tablets toward the United States. Other cases involved serial domestic abuser Stephen Rooney, EncroChat cocaine trafficker Anthony Maguire, repeat drug dealer Michael Burns, and violent offenders Scott Gledhill and Thomas Conder.

Five people describe their experiences serving as jurors at Liverpool Crown Court, ranging from being dismissed without hearing a case to spending several weeks on emotionally difficult sexual-offence and robbery trials. Jurors recount long periods of waiting, strict confidentiality rules, encounters with defendants outside court and the challenge of reaching verdicts, but several ultimately found the service meaningful and more engaging than expected. The article emphasizes that jurors perform an essential public duty on which the criminal justice system depends.

Thomas Conder was jailed for two years and banned from driving for 22 months after deliberately ramming Jake Glenholmes with his Peugeot van in Liverpool. Glenholmes had been filmed kicking repeatedly at the front door of Conder’s partner’s home, then fled toward Scotland Road. Conder chased him and drove into him, sending him into a taxi; Glenholmes suffered cuts, bruising and a bruised lung but no major traumatic injuries. Conder admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and dangerous driving after an attempted-murder charge was reduced. The judge said Conder had acted out of revenge, had used a potentially lethal weapon and had a history of anger and vehicle-related offences.

Shaun Black and Christopher Peterson were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court for assaulting Thomas Devitt outside the Hare and Hounds pub in West Derby. Peterson punched Devitt, knocking him unconscious, and Black then struck him at least six more times while he was on the ground. Bystanders and police performed CPR before Devitt was taken to intensive care and placed on a ventilator. Both men admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and avoided immediate imprisonment: Peterson received five months suspended for 18 months, while Black received 12 months suspended for 18 months, with both ordered to complete unpaid work and rehabilitation requirements. The judge condemned their conduct as thuggish but noted their lack of serious criminal records, employment, family responsibilities and, in Black’s case, remorse and abstinence from alcohol.

Michael Burns, a 43-year-old former cocaine trafficker known as “Million Dolla,” was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to a further 34 months in prison after police found 400.6g of cocaine, scales and packaging at his Eastham home. Burns said he held the drugs because criminals threatened him and his 79-year-old mother over an approximately £100,000 debt from his previous drug convictions. He had previously received a nine-year sentence for conspiracy to supply cocaine, later followed by an additional 16 months. The court accepted that the threats were credible but stressed that his personal circumstances carried limited weight given the seriousness of the offending. Burns admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply and possession of cannabis.

Jama Yusuf was unanimously convicted at Liverpool Crown Court of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing ammunition without a certificate and two counts of criminal damage. Prosecutors said he fired seven shots while cycling through Toxteth, targeting two men, with bullets also striking a home occupied by a mother, her 10-month-old baby and her elderly mother, as well as another property and a parked van. CCTV, recovered ammunition and his comments to police were cited as evidence. Yusuf denied being the gunman and did not testify. He remains in custody and is due to be sentenced on September 4, with the judge warning that a significant custodial sentence is likely.

Stephen Rooney was convicted at Liverpool Crown Court of multiple offences involving violence and coercive behaviour against three former partners, including assaults, intentional strangulation, threats with an offensive weapon and criminal damage. The latest case involved abusing a partner in Britain and during a holiday in Turkey, where he took her phone, stripped her and forced her from their hotel room before repeatedly beating her. Despite the defence citing prison courses and claimed remorse, the judge found a clear pattern of violence and suspected that Rooney was still attempting to manipulate the process. He was sentenced to six years in prison, an additional year on extended licence and a 12-year restraining order.

Neil Jones, 48, was jailed for 51 months after admitting causing the death of 72-year-old Linda Donnelly by careless driving in Bootle in December 2024 and committing a violent road-rage incident at Cheshire Oaks a year later. Jones had been travelling at about 45 mph in a 30 mph zone when he struck Donnelly, then falsely claimed she had run into the road. In the later incident, he nearly hit a family, assaulted two men, threatened them with a claw hammer, and twice pinned another man between vehicles before fleeing. The court cited his previous convictions and speeding offences but accepted his remorse. He was also banned from driving for 51 months, ordered to take an extended retest, and given seven-year restraining orders.

Reece Sands, whose DNA was found on a Glock used in a planned drive-by shooting in Kirkdale, was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess a firearm. Johnathon Ford received 13 years and eight months, Thomas Beverage eight years and four months, and Keiran Ingle seven and a half years, with extended licence periods for the first three. The shooting involved three bullets fired toward an alleyway where two men had been standing, creating a serious risk of death or injury. Police also recovered a Taurus revolver, ammunition and Class A drugs worth at least £50,000. Sands’s lawyer said he was seriously assaulted in custody and later changed his position, while the judge described the other defendants’ conduct as carefully planned and dangerous to the public.

Johnathon Ford, Thomas Beverage, Keiran Ingle and Reece Sands received combined prison sentences of nearly 35 years for their involvement in a planned drive-by shooting in Kirkdale, Liverpool. Three bullets were fired from a stolen BMW toward an alleyway where two men had been standing moments earlier. Police later recovered the Glock used in the shooting, a Taurus revolver, ammunition and more than £50,000 worth of crack cocaine and heroin. Ford, Beverage and Ingle received extended sentences because the judge considered them a significant risk to the public, while Sands was sentenced for conspiring to possess a firearm.

James Dean, 45, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to two years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to burgling St Peter's Catholic Primary School in Noctorum, Wirral. He was found hiding under a hedge wearing socks on his hands and reportedly using underpants as a face covering, with cash boxes and the school's CCTV hard drive beside him. The break-in caused nearly £10,000 in damage, and Dean also admitted three other burglaries in the area. The court heard that he has 59 previous convictions for 127 offences, alongside diagnosed depression, anxiety, ADHD, psychotic symptoms and substance-misuse problems. The judge acknowledged his mental-health difficulties but stressed the financial and emotional impact of his crimes on the school, children, staff and wider community.

John Ward, 43, was jailed for 14 months after driving a Skoda Octavia dangerously through the Wallasey Tunnel while impaired by alcohol and drugs, crashing into a wall and fleeing the scene. He admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop, driving while disqualified and refusing to provide a blood specimen. Despite his remorse, substance-use treatment in custody and difficult personal history, Liverpool Crown Court cited his extensive record—including 117 offences and six dangerous-driving convictions—and his continuing risk to the public. He was also banned from driving for three years and seven months.

Judge Graham Wood KC retired after a 46-year legal career at Liverpool Civil and Family Court, where colleagues praised his fairness, leadership and commitment to justice. His former Liverpool College classmate, Lord Justice Andrew Edis, joined other barristers in paying tribute to Wood’s influence on the court and the wider legal community. Wood delivered an emotional farewell, thanking colleagues and highlighting the support of his wife Jan and family.

Bernard Daley, 47, has pleaded not guilty at Liverpool Crown Court to attempting to murder Warren Fry, wounding with intent and possessing a bladed article in public. Fry was allegedly repeatedly stabbed inside his home on Dale Acre Drive in Netherton and was taken to hospital in a stable condition. Daley was granted conditional bail, with a five-day trial scheduled for July 2027. Merseyside Police said the incident appeared to be isolated and that the alleged knife had been recovered.

Solicitor Helen Dugdale, 57, has been charged with driving while over the alcohol limit after an alleged incident on Sefton Street in Brunswick on July 6. Police allege she had 57 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, above the legal limit of 35 micrograms, while driving a Volkswagen Tiguan. She was released on conditional bail and is due to appear at Carlisle Magistrates' Court on August 21.

A homeless repeat offender, Christopher Dunster, threatened to stab a woman after demanding her cigarette in Liverpool city centre. Already holding 163 previous convictions, he admitted threatening behaviour, with an attempted robbery charge left on file. Liverpool Crown Court sentenced him to four months in custody, with the judge citing his extensive criminal history and alcohol issues. A three-year restraining order was imposed to protect the victim.

Louis Martin was jailed for 27 months after admitting controlling and coercive behaviour, assault and failing to comply with sex‑offender notification rules. A partner discovered his past rape conviction, prompting months of harassment, threats and violence, including an assault in front of her child. Court records detailed his previous convictions, including a gang rape in 2006 and coercive control in 2017. The judge imposed a ten‑year restraining order, citing his ongoing refusal to accept relationship boundaries and repeated breaches of legal requirements.

Police halted a disqualified driver on the M62 and found more than £100,000 worth of illegal drugs in a bag alongside the man's 13‑year‑old son. Darren McDonnell admitted acting as a courier under pressure to repay a drug debt and presented mitigation as a carer and devoted father. The judge ruled that involving a vulnerable child aggravated the offence and sentenced him to seven and a half years in prison for drug supply and driving offences.

A county lines dealer continued operating the Johno Line drug supply network after being released on bail for dealing heroin and crack cocaine in Southport. Declan Goulbourne recruited Ian Helm to conduct street sales while he continued running graft phones and preparing drugs from his Bootle home. A police search uncovered significant quantities of heroin and crack cocaine, cash, and drug‑packing materials, with analysis showing thousands of marketing messages sent to drug users. Goulbourne admitted multiple drug supply and related offences and was sentenced to six and a half years in prison, while associates Mark Ennis and Helm had previously received custodial sentences.

A Liverpool Crown Court hearing ordered convicted drug and firearms trafficker Michael Riccio to repay nearly £4m in criminal proceeds, or face an additional 14-year sentence. Riccio, previously jailed for 35 years for crimes linked to his EncroChat activity under the handle Lead Fern, was identified through a selfie he sent after losing a tooth. The judge rejected Riccio’s claims that others used his device and found no credible evidence explaining the disappearance of his illicit earnings. His criminal network was described as international and highly lucrative, involving large-scale drug trafficking and attempts to acquire firearms.

An 18-year-old man was sentenced to seven years in a young offenders’ institution after admitting to possessing a disassembled firearm, ammunition and multiple drugs linked to a county lines supply line known as the G Wag Line. Police discovered the items after he directed them to a hidden gun and quantities of drugs in his girlfriend’s attic. The case involved thousands of drug-dealing messages and several types of illegal substances. The judge acknowledged his immediate admissions but highlighted the sophistication of the operation. A 10-year ban from Southport was also imposed.

Graham Daly pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court to the manslaughter of his mother, Phyllis Daly, on grounds of diminished responsibility after she was found dead with significant injuries in their Maghull home in July 2025. Prosecutors accepted the plea based on psychiatric reports, and Daly, detained under the Mental Health Act since his arrest, will be sentenced following an August hearing. Police and neighbours offered condolences and described the incident as a domestic matter with no wider threat to the community.

A woman previously spared prison for a series of shoplifting offences was jailed for two years after breaching her criminal behaviour order and suspended sentence within five days. She ignored bans on entering several retail locations, stole goods from a supermarket and told the court she reoffended intentionally because she struggled outside custody due to drug addiction and unstable living conditions. The judge activated her full suspended sentence, citing her rapid breach and criminal history, while encouraging her to use prison-based rehabilitation to prepare for treatment after release.

A Liverpool man with a history of abusing partners was jailed for two-and-a-half years after assaulting his pregnant girlfriend and later attempting to pressure her into dropping the case through calls, texts and letters sent from prison under other inmates’ names. The court detailed his pattern of alcohol misuse, violent behaviour and previous breaches of protective orders. The victim described lasting trauma and fear, while the judge condemned the attack as horrific and aggravated by his prior domestic violence record.

A St Helens man suffered a ketamine‑related seizure while shopping in Argos, leading to the discovery of cocaine and crack cocaine worth nearly £2,000 in his jacket. Messages on his phone revealed weeks of drug dealing to fund his addiction. He later failed to attend court but was eventually arrested. With prior convictions for drug supply, he admitted the offences and was jailed for 43 months. Mitigation highlighted his addiction, health issues, role as a father and recent efforts at rehabilitation, while the court acknowledged his low‑level dealing and motivation to support his habit.

A man in St Helens attacked his neighbour with a bottle of blue WKD after intervening in an argument, punching him repeatedly and striking him with the bottle, causing severe head injuries. The victim required hospital treatment and remains scarred. The attacker, who had recently received a suspended sentence for a knife offence, admitted unlawful wounding and was jailed for 28 months with a five‑year restraining order, with the judge citing the breach of his prior sentence and the seriousness of the assault.

Police recovered more than a kilogram of cannabis, cocaine, over £25,000 in cash and a converted Walther pistol with ammunition from Daniel Estridge’s Liverpool flat. A photo on his phone showed a Christmas tree decorated with banknotes. Estridge admitted drug, firearm and criminal property offences. The court heard details of his limited criminal history, personal background and behaviour in custody. Judge Ian Harris emphasised the danger of illegal firearms and the harm caused by drugs before sentencing him to five years and ten months in prison.

Police linked several young men to firearms, drugs and violent incidents across Merseyside through DNA, fingerprints and CCTV evidence. David McDonald received a further prison term after admitting possession of a prohibited weapon and involvement in drug supply. Francis Harrison was jailed for affray, weapon possession and heroin supply, while Ryan Humphries awaits sentencing for drug offences. The court heard claims of exploitation, trauma and delays in proceedings, but sentencing highlighted the seriousness of the weapons and drug operations involved.

A ceremony at Liverpool Crown Court marked the retirement of Judge Andrew Menary KC after a 43‑year legal career. Senior judicial figures praised his leadership, particularly during the covid backlog and periods of civil unrest, highlighting his calm authority, dedication and strong connection to Liverpool. Menary reflected on his early years in the city, emphasising that the people who shaped his work mattered more to him than judging itself. Tributes also recognised longtime usher Jayne, who retired the same day. The event concluded with Menary expressing gratitude to colleagues, staff and the city he came to call home.

A man who remarried in Nevada without finalising his divorce from his first wife was given a suspended eight-week sentence after admitting bigamy. Police were alerted when his former mother‑in‑law saw photos of the Las Vegas ceremony on Facebook. The court heard he falsely claimed to be divorced on official forms and failed to provide proof when contacted by authorities. The judge criticised his deliberate disengagement from the divorce process but noted his personal difficulties, low risk of reoffending, and responsibilities to his business and family, leading to the sentence being suspended.

A 20‑year‑old man was sentenced to four years in a young offenders' institution after being found guilty of sexual assault, intentional strangulation, assault causing actual bodily harm and criminal damage. The court heard he persistently assaulted and choked the victim, leaving her fearing for her life and suffering ongoing trauma. The judge cited his immaturity, difficult childhood and developing insight as mitigating factors but deemed him a high risk of serious offending. He received a lifelong requirement to sign the sex offenders' register and a five‑year restraining order prohibiting contact with the victim.

Police found a converted Walther pistol with compatible ammunition hidden in a slow cooker during a raid on Daniel Estridge’s Liverpool flat, along with more than a kilogram of cannabis, cocaine, and £25,360 in cash. Estridge made an incriminating remark during the search, prompting his girlfriend to warn him to stop speaking. His DNA was recovered from the weapon. He admitted multiple firearm, drug, and criminal property offences, and the judge emphasised the dangers of guns and illegal drugs before sentencing him to five years and ten months in prison.

A 66-year-old man from Kirkby was jailed for six and a half years after police found a Glock handgun, ammunition, and £4,000 worth of cocaine in his oven during a search of his home. He had borrowed £800 from drug dealers following delays to his benefits and was later assaulted and threatened, leading him to store the firearm and drugs under pressure. Prosecutors described his home as a safehouse for organised crime. The defence cited his health issues, military service, and coercion by criminals. The judge acknowledged his remorse and background but stressed that harbouring drugs and firearms supports serious organised crime.

Police stopped Darren McDonnell’s van on the M62 and found more than £100,000 worth of MDMA, 2CB, tapentadol and MCAT hidden in a Marks and Spencer bag, with his 13-year-old son in the passenger seat. McDonnell said he agreed to courier the drugs after being pressured to repay a £900 cannabis debt and had left work to care for his partner following her cancer diagnosis. Despite personal mitigation and his guilty plea, Judge Stuart Driver KC imposed a seven‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, citing the large quantity of class A drugs, the presence of a vulnerable child and McDonnell’s recent driving offences while under a suspended sentence.

A Liverpool man, Ryan Murray, was jailed for four years after firing a blank pistol at two police officers while being pursued following threats and domestic abuse toward his former partner. Murray had earlier appeared at her home in the night, prompting her to call police, then warned officers he had “something waiting for them.” During his arrest, he discharged an imitation firearm multiple times, causing serious fear for the officers involved. Victim statements from the officers and Murray’s ex-partner described ongoing psychological and emotional impacts. The judge highlighted Murray’s history of violence, the danger posed, and aggravating factors including prior convictions. A 10‑year restraining order was imposed, and police praised the officers’ courage and reaffirmed support for domestic abuse victims.

Akeeme Randall was sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of raping a woman who resisted his advances and repeatedly told him to stop. The court heard that he restrained her by wrapping his arms around her, leaving her unable to move. Randall initially denied the incident and later claimed the encounter was consensual, a version rejected by the jury. The victim reported significant ongoing psychological harm. The judge highlighted Randall’s lack of remorse and the seriousness of the offence, imposing a restraining order and requiring him to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Police searches of multiple addresses in Walton uncovered heroin, cannabis, cash and a converted firearm bearing David McDonald’s DNA, linking him to a street‑level drug dealing operation. Co‑defendants Francis Harrison and Ryan Humphries were also tied to drug supply and violent incidents on Merseyrail services and in Liverpool city centre. Mitigation for all three highlighted youth, exploitation and trauma, including the shooting death of a friend. McDonald received a further 35‑month jail term, Harrison was sentenced to two years and eight months, and Humphries awaits sentencing.

A juror, John Littler, failed to return to Liverpool Crown Court after his lunch break on the first day of jury service and ignored all subsequent attempts at contact. Summoned to explain his absence, he again did not appear and was fined £1,000, with a potential 30‑day prison term if unpaid. The judge allowed 56 days for further representations. The article notes several similar recent cases in which jurors who failed to attend were fined varying amounts.

Britannia Hotels faces 20 health and safety charges after 21-year-old Chloe Haynes died in 2022 when a wardrobe fell on her at Liverpool’s Adelphi Hotel. The case, brought by Liverpool City Council, has been sent to Liverpool Crown Court for trial. The charges also involve a separate 2025 incident in which a three-year-old girl was injured by falling furniture. The company has indicated no plea and says it is cooperating with legal proceedings.

Seventeen offenders from Merseyside received prison sentences totalling more than 56 years for crimes including sexual offences, violent assaults, fraud, burglary, kidnapping and harassment. Cases included a British Airways pilot who groomed and raped a child, multiple violent attacks, large‑scale fraud by a bank worker, a fake Uber driver who kidnapped a woman, and various robberies and threats. Sentences ranged from several months to more than eight years, reflecting the seriousness of the offences and their impact on victims.