A boy who tried to murder his love rival, a man who battered his own grandad to death and a school sports coach were locked up
A man who battered his own grandad to death, a machete-wielding boy who tried to murder a love rival and a fake Uber driver who abducted and sexually assaulted a teenager were among the criminals from across Merseyside who were jailed this month. Also locked up was a sports coach who drew a penis onto the face of a pupil at the school where he worked.
Meanwhile, Liverpool Crown Court heard that a woman killed a cyclist after getting behind the wheel while high on drugs. Here are the faces of 46 criminals from our region who were imprisoned during November:
John Pritchard
A dad took “extreme” measures when his business began to fail and ended up in prison. John Pritchard turned to brokering wholesale drug deals as his financial woes mounted during the covid pandemic.
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He utilised the handle “Lofty Cliff” on encrypted communications platform EncroChat in order to trade in kilogram quantities of cocaine and cannabis. Plots to smuggle shipments in the UK from Holland were also mooted as he and his close allies formed a “cooperative” supply chain.
Pritchard admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse wearing a black jumper over a white shirt and black tie and sporting black rimmed glasses, he was jailed for six years and eight months.
Michael Riccio
A man was jailed for 35 years after he used EncroChat to supply vast quantities of drugs and weapons while also plotting acts of extreme violence against his rivals. Michael Riccio used the handle “Lead Fern” on the encrypted communications platform as he made efforts to acquire a shotgun “to give someone a leggy”.
He also amassed a staggering £2.5million in old £20 notes as he trafficked weapons and drugs, but was caught out after sending a contact a selfie of himself missing a tooth. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Joe Cook
A thug who fatally stabbed a drug customer when he was just 16 pulled out a loaded gun and threatened a police officer. Joe Cook was sentenced to 13 years and eight months.
Anya Foster
A woman left a man to die and then wove a web of lies to police. Anya Foster was driving a Skoda Fabia on Islands Brown in St Helens when she struck cyclist David Burrows.
The 59-year-old died of his injuries shortly after the crash. Instead of staying at the scene to help him, the motorist callously fled the scene.
Foster pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving while over the prescribed limit for two separate controlled substances, driving while unfit through drugs, failing to stop after a collision and failing to report a collision. She was sentenced to six years and eight months.
Alan Gray, Connor Nixon, Thomas Ambrose and Thomas Collins
A gang of organised criminals have been jailed after holding a secret meeting for the sale and purchase of an illegally modified Turkish pistol. Connor Nixon purchased the blank firing self-loading pistol, which had been modified to fire live ammunition, after his friend Thomas Ambrose, organised the sale of the firearm from brothers Thomas Collins and Alan Gray.
The deadly weapon was then collected by courier Christopher James. But the group were observed by police acting on intelligence throughout the exchange.
Nixon was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison, Ambrose jailed for six years and Collins was handed seven years and four months. Gray was imprisoned for a total of 10 years and eight months.
Kelis Smith
The owner of two vicious XL bullies who tore chunks out of a woman’s arm cried as CCTV footage of the horrific attack was played in court. Kelis Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of being in charge of a dangerous out of control dog causing injury after her pets, Kodak and Love, savaged the victim in the middle of the street and was sentenced to 12 months in prison.
David Dumphy
A drunk driver crashed into a woman’s garden and destroyed her car. David Dumphy pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen and was sentenced to 14 months in prison.
Dean Wall
A man was jailed after he raped and stalked a woman. Dean Wall was found guilty of rape and was sentenced to eight years and three months.
Liam Brannan
A paedophile’s supporters engaged in “disgraceful behaviour” in court as he was found guilty of rape. Liam Brannan repeatedly sexually abused his victim when she was aged as young as 12 before “silencing her through fear”.
But, after she ultimately brought his dark secret to light, the dad-of-three ended up with his head in his hands in the dock while staring down the barrel of a prison sentence totalling 17 years. He however continues to maintain his innocence over his campaign of sickening abuse.
Carl Parkinson
A thug was found hiding in a Wendy house armed with knives after attacking a member of staff at Go Outdoors. Carl Parkinson and his accomplice David Grey assaulted the worker as a third defendant, Julie O’Brien, attempted to steal hundreds of pounds of luxury goods from the store.
He was later apprehended in possession of two weapons inside a kids’ playhouse after a dad spotted the intruder lurking in his garden remotely on CCTV while his wife and children remained at home. It came after the serial offender bit a prison officer in the leg during another spell behind bars.
Parkinson admitted theft, assault, two counts of possession of a bladed article in a public place and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, he was jailed for 42 months and handed a two-year serious violence reduction order.
Grey pleaded guilty to theft and assault while O’Brien admitted theft. They were both handed 18-month community orders with 12-month drug rehabilitation requirements and rehabilitation activity requirements of up to 10 days.
Aaron Robertson
A burglar who broke into a flat by fashioning a huge hole in the roof said he believed the property was a cannabis farm. Aaron Robertson left the occupants of the apartment homeless after destroying a large portion of the ceiling in order to gain entry, with one man even being forced to sleep in his car as a result.
The intruder maintains that he thought that the premises had been converted into a drugs factory and claims that he intended to steal and sell the illicit substances he anticipated he would find inside. But the dad instead took thousands of pounds of his victims’ belongings, including a diamond engagement ring.
Robertson admitted burglary and was jailed for 18 months. Sentencing, Recorder Michael Blakey said: “This has had a significant impact on the victims in this case. They felt unsafe in their own property. You left them, at one stage, homeless because they could not reside in the property.”
Jonathan Edge
A man who made a small business out of modifying Amazon Fire Sticks for the illegal streaming of premium sports, TV shows and movies complained that he had been “grassed on” when he was caught. Jonathan Edge made at least £15,000 from the enterprise.
The 29-year-old advertised his services on Facebook and Instagram at a cost of £30 per Fire Stick, with discounts offered for the purchase of multiple devices. He admitted three counts of fraud and was jailed for 40 months.
Jakub Rembowski
A company director “sees himself as the victim” despite sexually assaulting a teenage girl in a Tesco car park. Jakub Rembowski appeared to be a “caring family man” who was at the heart of his church community.
But he secretly subjected his victim to a campaign of vile abuse, leaving her “feeling like her world had fallen apart”. The dad and owner of an IT consultancy business now says he is “terrified” after being forced to face up to the consequences of his sickening actions.
Rembowski was found guilty of three sexual offences by a jury following a trial. Appearing in the dock wearing a dark grey suit over a white shirt, he puffed his cheeks out as he was jailed for 18 months.
Jamie Jones
A man has been jailed for nine years and nine months after being found guilty of two counts of rape. Jamie Jones twice raped a woman in her 20s at his home, leaving her suffering from “constant nightmares”.
Lee Ablitt
A gym owner’s huge drug plot unravelled after police pulled over a car on the M56. Lee Ablitt was stopped by officers on the motorway for being a disqualified driver.
When police searched the 51-year-old’s vehicle they found multiple boxes of class C drugs. Officers then carried out further enquires which led to two storage containers being searched, leading to a significant quantity of steroids and performance enhancing drugs being discovered along with a large quantity of cash.
Ryan Cullen
A man “went off his head” and killed his own grandad after watching an Everton match with him. Ryan Cullen battered his 73-year-old grandfather Brian Cullen, having watched the Toffees’ 2-0 defeat at Manchester City with him on the television, because he “wouldn’t give him money for drugs”.
The pensioner died two weeks later as a result of injuries sustained when he was subjected to a brutal assault in his own bed. It came after the killer became afflicted by mental health issues and drug use following the breakdown of his marriage.
Cullen admitted manslaughter, with a count of further murder having previously been dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service. Appearing handcuffed in the dock for part of the hearing and wearing a black Adidas t-shirt under a black zip-up top, he was handed a five-year section 45a hybrid order.
This will see him treated in a psychiatric hospital, having been detained in Rowan View Hospital for the past nine months, before he is deemed suitable to be moved to a prison. Cullen will then serve the remainder of his sentence behind bars, becoming eligible for release on licence after serving half of the term.
Kevin Biji
A balaclava-clad boy who attempted to murder a love rival by plunging a machete into his heart has been locked up for life. Sixteen-year-old Kevin Biji lured his victim down a dark alleyway by posing as his own girlfriend on Snapchat before launching the horrific assault.
The other teenager nearly died as a result of being stabbed twice to the chest and was only saved thanks to life-saving surgery. He was able to cycle home and seek help from family members in spite of the brutal attack, then texted his partner to warn her that he “might die”.
Biji was found guilty of attempted murder by a jury, having previously admitted the lesser offending of wounding with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm and possession of a bladed article in a public place but denied any intention to kill. He has one previous conviction for inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to an incident in 2022, when he was aged only 14.
Defendants under the age of 18 ordinarily cannot be named by the media. However, a judge has lifted these reporting restrictions following a legal challenge by the ECHO due to the “great gravity” of his crime.
Appearing via video link to HMP Wetherby wearing a grey Nike jumper, Biji put his head in his hands and thereafter sat shaking his head after he was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 10 years in a young offenders’ institute. He was also handed a restraining order banning him from contacting his victim indefinitely.
Sina Hosseinpour
A man lured his cousin to meet with him before viciously attacking him in a frenzy. Sina Hosseinpour stabbed his relative up to 12 times through the window of his taxi just seconds after he pulled up at the side of the road, causing him to roll forward and crash into another car.
The 25-year-old was initially charged with attempted murder but later pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of a bladed article in a public place. He was jailed for four-and-a-half years.
Elliot Millar
A sports coach who drew a penis on the face of a pupil at the school where he worked has been jailed. Elliot Millar slapped students and placed them into headlocks while working at Life Wirral Sports School in New Brighton.
He was said to have started working at the establishment only the day after an “informal” interview with the headteacher without receiving any training. A judge called his actions “hideously inappropriate” and “nothing short of bullying”.
Millar admitted four counts of assault and using threatening behaviour. Appearing in the dock wearing a black suit over a white shirt and grey tie, he was jailed for 12 weeks as his parents sat in tears in the public gallery.
Thomas Morrison
A man “panicked” and went on the run when his DNA was found on a firearm used in a shooting days before it was discovered hidden in woodland. Thomas Morrison was forensically linked to a Russian-manufactured handgun which fired a hail of bullets at a property on a residential street.
But, as he prepared to face a jury over his involvement with the lethal weapon, the former labourer and scaffolder got on his toes and failed to show his face in court for several months. A judge today told him he had merely “delayed the inevitable” in seeking to evade justice.
Morrison was ultimately convicted of a prohibited weapon in his absence before being apprehended last month. He was jailed for five years and one month.
Elizabeth Lee
A mum-of-seven “snapped” and stabbed another woman 20 times with a screwdriver. Elizabeth Lee launched a “frenzied revenge attack” upon her “defenceless” victim, who was already lying injured on the ground after being assaulted by an unknown man.
In spite of the brutal assault at a homeless shelter, the thug says she is “not sorry at all”. But she wept as she was locked up over the shocking incident.
Lee admitted attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm and possession of a bladed article in a public place. Appearing via video link to HMP Styal, she sat wiping tears way throughout the hearing before being jailed for three years and nine months.
Gareth Shaw
A man has been jailed and issued with a criminal behaviour order after assaulting a Matalan shop assistant and theft from Tesco and Holland and Barrett. Gareth Shaw pleaded guilty to six counts of theft and common assault and was locked up for 17 weeks.
Dawit Alemseged
A thug ordered a man to give him drugs and cash before stabbing him in his own flat. Dawit Alemseged knifed his victim after he refused to give into the demands, leaving him struggling to sleep and “reluctant” to leave home.
The 23-year-old admitted unlawful wounding on the day he was due to stand trial. He was jailed for a year and handed a restraining order banning him from contacting the complainant for three years.
Jamie Menagh
A former professional footballer has been jailed for his role in a £250million conspiracy that saw class A drugs smuggled into the country concealed in a trailer. Jamie Menagh was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in for dishing out drugs to couriers who then distributed the South American cocaine and heroin around the UK.
Jonathon Derby
A man with a history of domestic violence grabbed his ex-girlfriend and bit her multiple times after she rejected his drunken advances. Jonathon Derby “badly beat up” his former partner, leaving her with nasty bruises.
The 37-year-old admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was jailed for 16 months.
Liam Lewis
Liam Lewis used a fire extinguisher to smash his way into a phone shop during rioting in Liverpool city centre. He pleaded guilty to violent disorder and burglary and was jailed for two years and eight months.
Fitwi Tekeste
A teenager believed that she was getting into an Uber to take her to McDonald’s but was instead abducted and sexually assaulted. Fitwi Tekeste spotted his victim alone in Liverpool city centre in the early hours after she had enjoyed a night out with friends.
The restaurant worker then convinced her that he was her taxi driver and lured her into his car under this false pretence. She was subsequently subjected to a “nightmare” ordeal over the course of nearly two hours as she was driven down the M62 and abused.
Tekeste admitted one count sexual assault, with a further count of kidnap being ordered to lie on the file. Appearing in the dock wearing a grey prison issue tracksuit and assisted by an interpreter, he was jailed for 45 months.
David Power
A heartless burglar broke into a dementia sufferer’s home while she was in hospital and stole her late baby son’s dummy. David Power also targeted a recently bereaved widower’s house when she was away on holiday in order to fund his £100-a-day drug habit.
The 42-year-old admitted three counts of burglary, attempted burglary and four charges of breaching a criminal behaviour order. Appearing in the dock wearing a blue Emporio Armani jumper, he was jailed for five years.
Ethan Moran
A paedophile chef put his head in his hands as he was sent back to prison. Ethan Moran was originally locked up for sexually abusing a teenage girl but, following his release from jail, failed to abide the terms of the sex offenders’ register, with the police discovering that he was living at an address with three children after being informed by his own mum.
The 24-year-old admitted failing to comply with notification requirements. He initially put his head in his hands then nodded after being told he was being jailed for six months.
John Charlton
A man came up with an “incredible” excuse after his DNA was found on a murder weapon. John Charlton was forensically linked to a Glock pistol which was used in a fatal shooting and was also fired at a house on another occasion.
But he then cooked up a bizarre story that he had handled the weapon believing it was merely a toy gun, having stumbled across it while delivering firewood to a house. He told a judge “I’m sorry about that” as he was locked up.
Charlton admitted possession of a prohibited weapon and possession of ammunition without a certificate. He was jailed for five years and seven months.
Robert Dickson
A dad nearly killed a man after visiting the pub with his wife and kids. Robert Dickson’s victim fled to his car and drove to safety after being rendered unconscious when a fight broke out between the two men.
But the dad-of-two then pursued his opponent’s car down the street and hurled a brick through his window. This missile struck the driver in the head, leaving him with a fractured skull and in an induced coma while his attacker simply returned to the pub.
Dickson admitted one count of unlawful wounding. Appearing in the dock wearing a white shirt and blue tie, he was jailed for two years.
Aria Peers
A support worker subjected a girl to a series of depraved sexual acts after bonding with her over Star Wars. Aria Peers was found guilty of two counts of rape, attempted rape three charges of sexual assault and two offences of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity by a jury following a trial and was jailed for 15 years and handed an additional year on licence.
Shaun Wilkinson
A thug stabbed a 15-year-old boy with a machete as he sought “revenge” for his stepdaughter. Shaun Wilkinson confronted the teenager at his own home and plunged the gruesome weapon into his side as he attempted to flee for safety.
It came after the victim had fended off a “mob” of bullies who earlier congregated outside the address as they seemingly sought to harass his sister. His assailant chillingly told the teenager’s mum “just ask anyone about me” and threatened to burn down their house before launching his vicious attack.
Wilkinson admitted wounding with intent, possession of a bladed article in a public place and two counts of theft. After being jailed for eight years and handed an additional five years on licence, he replied: “Sound, nice one.”
Scott Berry
A domestic abuse victim “asked her friend to get a coffee” as a secret codeword warning her to call the police. Scott Berry viciously punched his girlfriend in the face during an unprovoked assault, leaving her with two black eyes.
He then threatened to shoot his partner and subjected her to a second attack when he was “in a bad mood because he had no cannabis”. Officers later discovered he had an imitation firearm hidden inside a sports bag after attending the scene.
Berry admitted possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, making threats to kill and two counts of assault. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, he was jailed for 20 months and handed a seven-year restraining order.
Adam Harvey
A man emptied the contents of a fire extinguisher over customers at Pret A Manger and Black Sheep Coffee in Liverpool ONE. Adam Harvey was identified by police from the “distinctive” tattoos on his neck after embarking upon a rampage of violence across Liverpool city centre.
The thug also launched a can at an officer’s head and hurled a brick at a van before breaking into a phone shop. He now says that he “got carried away” after widespread disturbances erupted following the fatal stabbings of six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice Da Silva Aguiar in Southport.
Harvey admitted violent disorder, burglary and assaulting an emergency services worker. Appearing in the dock wearing a prison issue jumper, he was jailed for 34 months.
Ehtosham Javed
A man warned “this is just the beginning” after targeting Merseyside Police in a cyber attack. Ehtosham Javed flooded force accounts with more than 10,000 emails in the space of less than four hours, “crippling” critical services and “potentially putting lives at risk”.
It came after he developed a grievance following an earlier raid upon his home by the police. He passed his actions off as “not a big deal”, but told an online contact: “I am going to make an example of Merseyside which no police force will forget.”
Javed admitted unauthorised modification of computer material. Appearing via video link from HMP Liverpool wearing a black Bench jumper and glasses, he was handed a year in prison. However, he has already served 33 weeks on remand in custody and will therefore be released in the near future.
Lewis Morris
A dad’s stash of thousands of pounds of cocaine and cannabis was discovered after Matrix officers looked underneath his car. Lewis Morris was found to have kept drugs stored inside a magnetic box attached to the underside of his vehicle after he was pulled over by undercover police.
They then discovered a haul of illicit class A substances worth up to £15,000 when they raided his house, as well as more than £8,000 in cash. He was eventually locked up after making an unsuccessful bid to flee from the back of a police car.
Morris admitted possession of cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply. Appearing in the dock wearing a black short sleeved shirt, he was jailed for three years.
Adam Wright
A dad went to a house party but left an “innocent girl with a big scar on her face”. Adam Wright armed himself with a knife when he squared off with a vodka bottle-wielding man known only as “Hencho” after the drink and drug-fuelled gathering descended into violence in the early hours.
As he then began viciously swinging the weapon around, he missed his intended target and instead caught a young mum on the cheek. She has now been left scarred for life, but feels she is lucky not to have lost her sight or even her life.
Wright admitted unlawful wounding. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, he was jailed for 32 months and handed a five-year restraining order.
Philip Kent and Joseph Murphy
A man told police “I’m not a burglar, I’m an armed robber me boss” after he attacked a 77-year-old shopkeeper. Phillip Kent and Joseph Murphy stole hundreds of pounds in cash from the till before a violent struggle the store’s owner.
He was left thousands of pounds out of pocket as a result. One of the thugs later claimed upon his arrest: “I’m gutted I’m in trouble, I thought I’d kept a clean slate.”
Kent and Murphy admitted robbery. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, they were jailed for three years and nine months and two years and seven months respectively.
Carl Fahy
A serving prisoner called a charity helpline, said his postcode was “BUM HOLE” and began performing sex acts while on the phone to staff. Carl Fahy rang Age UK and subjected call handlers to the lewd behaviour on more than 50 occasions while he was locked up in jail.
His sick actions led to him receiving a tap on the shoulder as he was walking out of jail and being immediately put back behind bars. A judge told the convicted flasher: “This behaviour must stop.”
Fahy admitted harassment and two malicious communications offences. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, he was handed 14 months in prison. However, he has already served eight months in custody on remand and will therefore be released in the near future.
Dale Simpson
A man used stolen bank cards to buy hundreds of pounds worth of items in shops such as Cash Convertors and Foot Asylum. Dale Simpson pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud, handling stolen goods and breaching a criminal behaviour order and was sentenced to 62 weeks in prison.
Roger Brenninkmeyer
A dangerous driver was driving with his accelerator “fully depressed” when his BMW collided with another car killing a “caring and gentle” man aged 20. Roger Brenninkmeyer’s BMW was travelling at nearly 100mph when it hit an embankment on a rural road, overturned, collided with victim Droy Darrock-York’s car and spun into a field, stopping 99 metres away.
The 60-year-old “wrongly” believed he faced bankruptcy from debts, but a court heard that he did not intend to kill himself during the journey. He was jailed for six years and eight months for causing death by dangerous driving.
