These are the police mugshots of drug dealers, burglars, rapists and other criminals locked up in Liverpool this week.

Cases dealt with at the city’s crown court and magistrates court this week include a drug dealer who failed to turn up for his trial and a Wirral man who burgled homes to steal expensive cars.

Also jailed this week were two women who assaulted other women with stiletto heels, in separate incidents in Merseyside.

One of this week’s most high-profile sentencings was the case of Mebrehtom Abrha, who raped a young woman as she walked to her boyfriend’s house in Toxteth.

Abrha was caught following an appeal on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme.

Liam Ditchfield

Liam Ditchfield, now of Church Road in Sheerness, Kent, was jailed for seven years

Toxteth drug dealer Liam Ditchfield was handed a further 28 days in prison this week on top of the seven year sentence he was given in November.

The 25-year-old, who was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court in November, had failed to attend a trial which led to him being found guilty in his absence of possessing cocaine with intent to supply.

Ditchfield, whose last address was in Sheerness, Kent, appeared in court via video link from a Canterbury police station.

He admitted failing to attend court and breaching his bail conditions.

Ditchfield was originally arrested after police raided a property in Kaber Court, Horsfall Street, Toxteth on June 30, 2014.

Gavin Hazeldine

Gavin Hazeldine, 22, of Damwood Road, Speke, jailed for 20 months for possesion with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin

Gavin Hazeldine was jailed for 20 months after being caught delivering £900 of crack cocaine and heroin.

Hazeldine, 22, of Damwood Road, Speke, was stopped by officers on the M62 as he travelled to Warrington to hand over drugs and a “graft phone”.

But on the way back to Wavertree police station, he “slipped the handcuffs”, jumped out of the back door and ran off.

When caught by officers a short distance away, Hazeldine said: “You’ve got to give it a try, haven’t you lad?”

He admitted possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin.

Kory Hodgskin

Kory Hodgskin, 23, of Cathcart Street, Birkenhead, jailed for 41 months for burglary and theft

Kory Hodgskin, 23, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison after a court heard he burgled homes in Wirral to steal expensive cars.

Hodgskin was part of a gang forcing open UPVC door handles to break into houses and take car keys.

Hodgskin, of Cathcart Street, Birkenhead, was on licence after being jailed for 14 months for burglary and handling stolen goods.

He admitted burglary in relation to a raid in Burlingham Avenue, West Kirby raid and two thefts of a Mini and Nissan.

Judge Norman Wright said the gang “appeared to have a certain expertise in how to break into houses”.

Joseph Musumeci

Joseph Musumeci, 28, of Meaden Way in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, jailed for 40 months after his attack on a man in Liverpool city centre left him in a coma

Joseph Musumeci, 28, was jailed for 40 months after launching an unprovoked attack on a university graduate which left him with brain damage.

Matthew Webber, 29, was floored by a single punch outside Heebie Jeebies nightclub on August 8 last year.

He spent two weeks in a coma and a further two weeks at the Walton Centre where he underwent brain surgery.

Musumeci, of Meaden Way in Bognor Regis, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm, two counts of assault and using racially aggravated, threatening words or behaviour. He has previous convictions for violence.

Tanya Case-Webb

Tanya Case-Webb

An Old Swan mum who glassed her next-door neighbour in an argument over their daughters was jailed for 20 months this week.

Tanya Case-Webb hit Zoe Taylor with a broken tumbler which left her victim needing three stitches for a cut on her forehead.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how Case-Webb, 27, of Baden Road, Old Swan, later told police her victim “deserved to be glassed”.

She admitted unlawful wounding.

Mebrehtom Abrha

Toxteth rapist Mebrehtom Abrha jailed for ten years

An asylum seeker who raped a young woman as she walked to her boyfriend’s home in Toxteth was jailed for 10 years.

Mebrehtom Abrha, 25, was caught following a BBC Crimewatch appeal after the attack at around 6.30am on Sunday, July 19 last year.

Abrha, from Eritrea in East Africa, pursued his 21-year-old victim for 10 minutes as she headed towards Beaumont Street.

A DNA sample later linked him to the crime. He admitted two counts of rape through an interpreter in the dock.

Jody Modeste

Jody Modeste, who was jailed for 18 months for attacking a woman with a stiletto

Jody Modeste stuck a stiletto heel through a woman’s face outside a Liverpool nightclub after mistaking her for someone else.

The 27-year-old was jailed for 18 weeks at Liverpool Magistrates Court over the grim attack.

Modeste, from Huddersfield, was staying over in Liverpool with friends when she got into an argument with another group of women inside Camel Club, Wood Street.

She pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Julie Green

Julie Green, 46, who was jailed for two-and-a-half years at Liverpool Crown Court for wounding without intent and common assault

Jealous Julie Green left her love rival with permanent blurred vision after smashing a stiletto heel into her eye.

The 46-year-old of Meadow Lane, Southport, battered defenceless Amy Urquhart as she cowered on the floor before striking her with the shoe in Lord Street, Southport.

Green was jailed for two-and-a-half years at Liverpool Crown Court while her friend and co-accused Carly Rendell, 26, of Ervington in Skelmersdale, was locked up for 18 months.

Green pleaded guilty to wounding without intent and common assault, while Rendell admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

One of Merseyside’s top policemen is urging clubbers to control their drinking in the wake of a series of vicious stiletto heel attacks.

Superintendent Mark Wiggins says revellers can “let themselves down” and become embroiled in fights after binge drinking.

He stressed Liverpool remains a safe place to party, but violence can flare up in a matter of seconds.

The courts in Merseyside have dealt with a spate of cases in recent months in which defendants used stiletto heels to beat their victims.

A stiletto can become a convenient and brutal weapon in the wrong hands.

The heels can even be metal-tipped, potentially inflicting devastating injuries.

Jailed: the faces of the criminals put behind bars this week at Liverpool’s courts

Supt Wiggins said: “Unfortunately, on occasion, some people let themselves down by drinking too much and getting involved in violent incidents which ordinarily they might steer well away from.

“We have seen the consequences of this kind of behaviour in recent court cases.

“An innocent victim is left with the emotional and physical scars of the assault and the offender has ended up with a criminal record, their face in the paper and the very real prospect of imprisonment, all of which could have been avoided.”

These are some of the women recently hauled before the courts for attacks involving stiletto heels

Abbie Van Hien, 25, of Whatcroft Close, Runcorn, who was given 16 months in prison, suspended for two years, after slashing a woman with her stiletto heel Abbie Van Hien

Abbie Van Hien, of Whatcroft Close, Runcorn, was given a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for slashing a woman with her stiletto heel.

Van Hien, 25, said she had no memory of the attack, but a court heard how she lashed out after a Good Samaritan asked if she was OK during the early hours of New Year’s Day last year on Bold Street, Liverpool city centre.

The victim needed stitches for a 3cm cut to her forehead.

Jody Modeste

Jody Modeste was jailed for 18 weeks after admitting attacking her victim in a case of mistaken identity.

Modeste, 27, from Huddersfield, was staying over in Liverpool with friends when she got into an argument with another group of women inside the Camel Club, Wood Street.

Her victim said in a statement: “She stabbed it (the stiletto heel) into my left cheek and I felt an instant throbbing pain and burning and I saw blood.”

Julie Green, 46, who was jailed for two-and-a-half years at Liverpool Crown Court for wounding without intent and common assault Julie Green

Julie Green battered her defenceless victim as she cowered on the floor before striking her with a stiletto in Lord Street, Southport.

The victim was Amy Urquhart, the new partner of Green’s ex-boyfriend Stephen McLoughlin.

The attack came after Green, 43, spotted the pair in a pub.

Green, of Meadow Lane, Southport, was jailed for two-and-a-half years after she pleaded guilty to wounding without intent and common assault.

Amy Sundve, 30, of Melling Road, Bootle was jailed for slashing a man in the face with her stiletto heels

Amy Sundve

Drunken Amy Sundve, 30, launched the unprovoked attack outside the Elm Tree pub in Kirkdale after going on a two-day bender to celebrate her birthday.

Her victim suffered a cut artery and was left with a 7cm scar across his forehead.

Pregnant Sundve, of Melling Road, Bootle, then attacked the victim’s girlfriend, scraping her left eye with the metal-tipped heel and badly injuring her shoulder.

She was jailed for 10 months, meaning her baby will be born in prison.

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

A WIDNES man who stabbed his neighbour in an attempted murder bid ‘sparked by jealousy and rage’ but was thwarted thanks to the actions of two teenage boys has been caged for 20 years.

Warren Flaherty, 50, of Greenway Road, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Friday, January 15,

The defendant pleaded guilty to attempted murder and threatening with an offensive weapon in a public place at a previous hearing.

He was handed an 18 year sentence for attempted murder, with two years to run consecutively for the offensive weapon charge.

A Cheshire police spokeswoman said that the victim – Alison Sheridan, 41 – suffered ‘serious and life changing injuries’ as a result of the knife attack on Saturday, November 8, 2014, on Lower Appleton Road in which she was stabbed ‘at least eight times’.

The spokeswoman said that officers were called after Flaherty – who lived next door to the victim with his wife – carried out the attack in the street around 5.30pm and that two teenage boys, who were not known to the victim, came to her aid during the incident.

One boy was a passenger in a car that was driving past and spotted a woman running away from a man.

After leaving the vehicle to try and help, the defendant pulled his victim to the floor and restrained her as she shouted and tried to fend him off, the police spokeswoman said.

The boy witnessed the man ‘repeatedly lunge’ at his victim with an eight inch kitchen knife injuring her arm, chest and stomach and the teenager ‘kicked out’ at Flaherty, the spokeswoman added.

Flaherty picked up the knife and walked towards the boy, who backed away, while the victim had fled to a nearby shop.

Police said that the defendant calmly started to walk up Lower Appleton Road toward a social club, but the boy followed and started shouting after him.

Another teenage boy was then spotted by first witness, who told him what happened and asked him to call the police.

As the second teeenager spoke to police over the phone and gave details, the spokeswoman said that Flaherty ‘turned and lunged’ at both boys with the knife.

When one of them dropped their mobile phone and went to pick it up, the defendant ‘suddenly turned and ran at him’ with the knife, according to the Cheshire police spokeswoman.

Flaherty was arrested at the scene after being told to drop the knife and get down on the floor, while the victim was treated by paramedics and taken to Aintree Hospital for further medical attention, where she remained for a ‘number of weeks’ before being discharged, the police spokeswoman said.

Detective Constable Heather Phillips said the incident was a ‘vicious attack’ on the victim as she walked home.

DC Phillips added: “Flaherty had developed a fascination with Alison and believed he was in a relationship with her.

“When she started seeing someone he could not handle this and it was clear that he did not want anyone else to have her.

“In a bid to ensure this never happened he armed himself with a weapon, waited until she left her house and followed her before carrying out his attack.

“Alison sustained horrific injuries as a result of the stabbing – she remained in hospital for some time and is continuing to receive treatment.

“What happened that day is truly shocking and I hope that the guilty verdict and successful outcome at court today helps to bring about a degree of closure for her.

“Fortunately for the victim two brave teenage boys stepped in and tried to help her. Their actions that day are truly remarkable.

“Not only did they try and stop the attack – but they alerted police and helped to guide officers to where Flaherty was heading so he could be swiftly arrested.

“They did all of this without any concern for their own safety and I know that the victim is truly very grateful for what they did that day.

“She has also expressed her gratitude towards the paramedics and doctors at Aintree Hospital who treated her and to all the police officers who have worked on the case.

“Flaherty is clearly a dangerous man and the sentence handed down today reflects that. I hope that his time behind bars will allow him to reflect upon his actions that day – and how they have affected all those involved.”

The two boys involved in the incident are to be awarded a commendation from the Judge for their actions that day.

Brian Forshaw, senior crown prosecutor with Mersey-Cheshire Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This was an horrific attack on a next door neighbour, sparked by jealousy and rage.

“Flaherty believed he was in love with the woman. He knew he couldn’t have her and didn’t want anyone else to.

“If it hadn’t have been for the actions of these two teenage boys, this attack could have had even more serious consequences.

“They knew they were putting their own lives in danger but were determined to come to Ms Sheridan’s aid and probably saved her life.

“Young people are often seen as the perpetrators of crime yet the actions of these two teenagers were nothing short of heroic.”

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

A railway worker has been ordered to appear before a court after an 89-year-old passenger suffered head injures when she fell off the platform.

Merseyrail train guard Martin Zee, 32, faces a charge of endangering railway passengers by wilful omission or neglect, which can mean up to two years in jail if he is found guilty.

The passenger also suffered four broken ribs after losing her balance while trying to board the train at Wirral’s Hamilton Square station as the doors were closing, falling between the carriage and platform edge.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Zee will appear at Liverpool magistrates’ court on January 28.

The RMT railway workers’ union, which is paying Zee’s legal fees, previously criticised the decision to bring charges against him.

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The union said Zee was cleared by a Merseyrail safety probe after the incident in July last year.

RMT North West organiser John Tilley said: “Martin and his family are devastated. However, they have been heartened by the messages of support they have received from all over the UK.

“He didn’t see the woman because he was shutting the doors. She went to the doors as they were closing and tried to jump through, got knocked off balance and fell.

“The safety inquiry was clear – he didn’t and couldn’t have seen the woman. This has knocked him for six and he will deny the charge.”

The CPS said in a statement there was enough evidence and it was in the public interest to issue a court summons.

It added: “Criminal proceedings are active and Mr Zee has the right to a fair trial, therefore, it is extremely important that there should be no commentary or reporting which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

Three men will be sentenced on Friday over a cash-in-transit robbery in Liverpool’s Chinatown .

Lesley Aitchison, 38, Spencer Benjamin, 43, and Ian Porter, 46, were charged with robbery and possession of an imitation firearm following the robbery last year.

Two security guards were refilling a stand-alone cashpoint, near the corner of Nelson Street and Duke Street, at around 10.25am on Monday, July 20.

Police said two masked men threatened them with a handgun and stole a box containing cash.

The robbers were said to have made off in a grey Vauxhall Insignia up Duke Street, towards Upper Parliament Street.

Aitchison and Benjamin were also charged with robbery in relation to an incident at a Tesco store in Eastham, Wirral on May 9 this year.

Benjamin, of Solway Street West, Toxteth , and Porter, of Longborough Road, Prescot , appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today to face trial.

Aitchison, of no fixed address but believed to be from the Kensington area, had previously admitted all three charges.

This afternoon Benjamin pleaded guilty to both robberies but denied possession of an imitation firearm.

Porter admitted the Chinatown robbery but also denied the firearms offence during the short hearing.

Graham Pickavance, prosecuting, said the Crown accepted these pleas and would not proceed with the firearms allegation against Benjamin and Porter.

Judge Elizabeth Nicholls said the three defendants would be sentenced together on Friday.

She remanded them all in custody.

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

A man holding a petrol can threatened to burn his girlfriend and baby alive after she locked him out of their home.

Garath Barr, 22, kicked a front door and headbutted a window when Charlotte Day decided to end their two-year relationship because of his drug use.

Liverpool Crown Court heard he shouted through the letterbox: “You best watch your back – I’m getting you terrorised, I’m getting your head punched in.”

Barr then grabbed a jerry can of petrol and repeatedly said: “Watch what I’m going to do to you and the baby tonight, I’m going to burn you alive.”

William Beardmore, prosecuting, said the couple had an 11-month old baby girl and lived together in Dewsbury Road, Anfield .

He said: “She had noticed he had been suffering with wild mood swings. Particularly she put this down to his use of cannabis and cocaine.”

The Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts, Liverpool Crown Court. File picture. Photo by Ian Cooper

The court heard Miss Day returned home and found Barr in a mood on October 9 last year.

She asked him to go outside to clear his mind and he stormed out at 7pm.

Mr Beardmore said: “As a result she locked the front and back doors so he couldn’t get back in.

“She had decided she’d had enough of his behaviour and wanted to end the relationship.”

Barr returned 15 minutes later and began to shout through the letterbox.

Mr Beardmore said the victim was “terrified” when Barr picked up the jerry can, which he kept for his motorbike.

Barr then picked up a brick and threatened to smash a window.

Mr Beardmore said: “He said he was going to smash her head in with the brick.”

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The victim called Barr’s brother, who managed to convince the defendant to leave.

He was arrested after she called police several days later.

Miss Day told officers she thought he was capable of carrying out the threats.

Mr Beardmore said: “She couldn’t believe he would threaten to kill her and his own baby in their own house. She was worried about his unpredictability and indicated it was related to his drug use.”

"You said you would burn her alive and you were holding a petrol can"

Barr, of Asser Road, West Derby , admitted affray on the opening day of a trial.

Brendan Carville, defending, accepted it was a “very frightening” incident, but said it was a verbal rather than physical assault.

Mr Carville said: “The defendant has learned his lesson. He spent 10 and a half weeks in prison.”

Barr said he was depressed and felt under pressure because of his new responsibility as a father.

Judge Anil Murray said: “You said you would burn her alive and you were holding a petrol can while you were doing that. That must have been a very frightening experience.

“You say you are remorseful and so you should be. Had you not spent some time in custody, the sentence might have been very different today.”

Judge Murray handed Barr a 12-month community order and told him to attend a rehabilitation course.

He imposed a five-year restraining order, preventing Barr from contacting Miss Day except via solicitors.

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

Feared gangster Stephen Clarke today claimed cash he received from a Liverpool property developer was for providing security and not drugs money.

Security and scaffolding entrepreneur Clarke, 48, and his brother, former soldier Peter Clarke, 37, headed a drug smuggling network supplying cocaine and cannabis to Northern Ireland and Manchester.

The pair, who had access to a cache of weapons including guns, machetes and samurai swords, were jailed for a combined 26 and a half years in November 2013.

Now prosecutors are battling to seize the majority of a £2m fortune from the brothers, as well as from their wives Rachel Clarke and Maria Clarke.

Nick Johnson, QC, prosecuting, earlier told Preston Crown Court the family’s ill gotten gains were “squirrelled away in a murky web of hidden assets.”

Today Stephen Clarke gave evidence on £178,000 of cash he received between 2009 and 2012 from a developer, who is involved in large scale regeneration projects in Liverpool but cannot be named for legal reasons.

Earlier DC Duncan Watson had alleged that the developer was involved in money laundering and helped clean the profits for the brothers’s drugs trafficking network.

Under questioning from defence counsel Nigel Power, QC, Clarke claimed he was a close friend of the developer and they had gone to school together.

But Clarke claimed his friend was having a “bit of trouble” with development sites including at Pilch Lane in Huyton, which had been vandalised and set alight by “gangs of lads.”

He told the court: “If anything happened on any of any of his sites I would be getting on the phone to sort it out. I would speak to certain people who would know those people and ask them to leave it out.”

Mr Power asked about the money coming in from the developer, which was paid into Clarke’s account in monthly £4,000 instalments.

Clarke replied: “At the time he was doing very well for himself and he would give me money because I looked after him well.”

The court also heard the pair were joint 50% shareholders in scaffolding firm Pro Scaff Access, and that the business had received cash from the developer to finance its activities. Mr Power also questioned his client on other businesses including Premier Approved, which provided security guards to building sites.

The court heard detailed evidence about payments received by Premier, which would source work and sub-contract other firms to provide security guards,

The prosecution had alleged payments from some of the sub-contractors, which included firms run by Clarke’s personal friends Jay Tinker, Michael Oliver and Micheal Palombella, were covers for money laundering.

However Clarke told the court: “To suggest these companies were not doing the work is ridiculous.”

The court also heard that recordings made on a police listening device, which involved Clarke referring to debts owed by men called “Dave” and “Belly”, were in fact referring to business loans.

Clarke claimed he had lent a man called David Byron £100,000 for a property deal. However he claimed the recordings referring to Belly, an alleged Manchester-based drug dealer, were discussions of his brother Peter’s activities and “nothing to do” with him.

Mr Power also asked about a safety deposit box containing £140,000 belonging to Clarke’s sister Lynne Murphy.

Clarke told the court the box contained cash he had saved from his work in security during the 1990s, which was paid solely in cash until the introduction of new legislation governing door staff in the early 2000s.

He claimed he had not placed the money into a bank because he had not declared tax on it, and denied it was related to drugs.

When questioned on other firms he was involved with, including Stealth Security, CTL Scaffolding, Pro Scaff Access and C&L Scaffolding, he described the businesses as “100% legitimate.”

The complex Proceedings of Crime Act hearing is set to continue for several weeks.

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

Police seized a DIY Molotov cocktail after a man threatened to petrol bomb his former drinking partner’s flat.

Carl Kelly told Darren Bushell he was going to kill him and his two children when the pals fell out in July last year.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how Kelly made the improvised bomb out of a vase, cloth and flammable liquid following a two-day cocaine bender.

But the drunken defendant left the weapon at a friend’s home when he went to buy some vodka and was reported to police.

When officers arrested the 32-year-old, he staged a dirty protest in a police vehicle.

The court heard how Mr Bushell had told Kelly to stop coming to his home in Heydean Road, Allerton on July 11.

Ian Harris, prosecuting, said: “He said he would petrol bomb the flat. Mr Bushell was extremely frightened by the threats, which he repeated.

“He shouted through the letterbox threats to kill him, by burning the flat down with the complainant and his children in it, or to stab him in front of his children.”

‘Molotov cocktail’

Mr Harris said the victim taped up his letterbox, but was too scared to go to the police.

A man called Anthony Smith, who lived opposite Mr Bushell, said Kelly came to his home on July 13.

He told him he was going to burn Mr Bushell’s flat down and showed him the Molotov cocktail.

Mr Smith knocked on neighbours’ doors and asked them to call the police.

Officers who attended Mr Smith’s flat could smell petrol and spotted a triangular bottle containing liquid, with a half-soaked cloth inside.

Kelly’s DNA and fingerprints were found on the bottle, which a police investigator said was a viable “Molotov cocktail”.

Judge David Aubrey, QC, said: “That Molotov cocktail or petrol bomb was at a location and ready to go. It was in close proximity to Mr Bushell’s premises.”

Mr Harris replied: “The prosecution case is the defendant made that item. The defendant had left it at the address to go and buy some vodka.”

Police located and arrested Kelly at around 8.15pm.

‘It wasn’t an easy arrest’

Mr Harris said: “It wasn’t an easy arrest. The defendant followed up a threat to soil himself by going wild. He smeared faeces over the plastic screen in the police vehicle.”

Kelly admitted making threats to kill, making and having an explosive substance, criminal damage and breaching a suspended sentence.

He has previous convictions for possessing offensive weapons in public, including a meat cleaver and hunting knife.

In 2014 he was handed a 12-week sentence, suspended for two years, for harassment.

He bombarded the mother of his three-year-old son with text messages and threatened to break her jaw after she split up with him.

Isobel Thomas, defending, said her client heard Mr Bushell was having an affair with his girlfriend and went on a “two-day cocaine and alcohol binge”.

She said: “That led to the defendant being driven by anger and rage to the complainant.”

Ms Thomas said Kelly’s dad was a drug dealer, who disappeared when Kelly was 12, leading him to believe he was murdered.

She said this had a “profound effect” on Kelly’s life, leaving him with emotional problems he needed to address.

Ms Thomas said Kelly pleaded guilty on the basis he only intended to scare Mr Bushell and did not plan to confront him with the Molotov cocktail.

Judge Aubrey said: “I find that difficult to accept.”

Jailing Kelly for five years, the judge added: “At the very least you must have intended to install fear into your victim by showing it to him and confronting him, otherwise there would have been no purpose whatsoever.”

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Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

Feared gangster Stephen Clarke today claimed the co-founder of prominent MMA academy Wolfslair, took money from a scaffolding firm the pair owned to help his gym business.

Convicted drugs trafficker and security boss Clarke, 48, told Preston Crown Court that a dispute with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) trainer Anthony McGann helped lead to the collapse of their firm, Proscaff Access.

Clarke, of Banks near Southport, and his ex-army corporal brother Peter Clarke, 37, headed up a dangerous drugs gang with access to firearms, machetes and samurai swords.

The pair were jailed for a combined 26 and-a-half-years in November 2013, over a plot to ship cocaine and cannabis from Merseyside to Northern Ireland.

Now the brothers are locked in a battle with prosecutors who say their alleged £2m fortune was amassed through drugs trafficking and is “squirrelled away in a murky web of hidden assets.”

Today Clarke gave evidence on his business activities, claiming he fell out with Mr McGann in 2007 after noticing “discrepancies” in his company phone records.

The court heard Clarke had known Mr McGann around 15-20 years and described him as a “very very close friend.”

Under questioning from defence counsel, Nigel Power, QC, he said: “We started getting our phones from a shop. My friend Tony Rimmer was having phone trouble and we went down. The lad who ran the shop just said, off the cuff, that Anthony McGann’s phone bill had been quite high. We asked how much and he said £1,700.”

Clarke said he and his associate Mr Rimmer asked for the company phone records, and found Mr McGann had been running up monthly bills of between £1,200 and £1,700 by calling America from his company phone, which Clarke said was “to do with Wolfslair MMA.”

The court heard Mr McGann had been running a former incarnation of the business, then called C&L Scaffolding, while Clarke was in prison for firearms offences between 2003 and 2006.

But Clarke claimed there was a dispute over money and equipment left over in Proscaff when it was wound up in 2009.

He said: “Lee (Gwynn) and Anthony (McGann) took money out of the Proscaff account and put it into the Wolfslair account.”

Mr McGann and his partner Lee Gwynn, who Clarke claimed he had known for around 10 years, formed Widnes based Mixed Martial Arts training academy Wolfslair in 2004.

The gym gained international attention after the signing of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) including Chorley fighter Michael Bisping.

Former doorman Clarke told the court he was involved in training camps with Wolfslair fighters, including Bisping, when he was on better terms with Mr McGann, and even acted as a cornerman during big fights involving UFC fighter Paul Kelly.

The court heard he was paid £15,000 by Wolfslair between 2007 and 2012 for his service.

Mr McGann and Mr Gwynn have not been charged with any criminal offence.

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

A dad-of-two was caught with up to £80,000 of cannabis after leading police on a high-speed chase the wrong way down a dual carriageway.

James Mann, 32, ploughed his blue VW Passat into pedestrian railings, fencing and a garden wall after mounting a pavement in Walton.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how the courier was found to be carrying four kilos of cannabis, plus a personal stash of the drug and £500 in cash.

Police had spotted Mann, of Manor Road in Crosby , driving erratically on the East Lancs Road at around 3.45pm on June 11 last year.

Fiona McNeill, prosecuting, said officers saw the Passat swerve across three lanes, before it mounted a central reservation and drove into oncoming traffic.

They gave chase but the defendant failed to stop, went through red traffic lights and reached speeds of 80mph in a 30mph zone.

Liverpool Crown Court

Other vehicles were forced to swerve out of the way as he careered along, turned into Long Lane, crashed into a van, and came to a halt near the junction with Long Avenue.

Mann tried to run away but was caught by officers and said: “I’m not going to run no more. I’m in enough trouble.”

He was searched and found to be in possession of cannabis worth between £40,000 and £80,000.

In total he caused £3,300 of damage, which included damage sustained to a police car.

Mann told officers he had taken the cannabis from a group of men he would not name.

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Ms McNeill said: “He denied owing them any money and said he had no drug debt, but believed they saw him as ‘a bit of a soft touch’.

“He said he had not done anything for them in the past. This was a one-off situation where they had intimidated him into driving the cannabis from A to B. He agreed to do this.”

Mann claimed he had been in complete shock when he saw flashing blue police lights and “panicked”.

He admitted dangerous driving, possession of cannabis, possession of cannabis with intent to supply and criminal damage. He has no previous convictions.

"This was a prolonged piece of dreadful driving"

Anthony Murphy, defending, said his client had been “totally honest” with police officers when arrested.

Mr Murphy said Mann had since sought help for his cannabis habit with the Lifeline Project charity.

He said: “He understands if he hadn’t have been using this cannabis he wouldn’t have got in contact with this criminal group.”

Recorder Ford said the fact Mann was given high value drugs to deliver indicated he was trusted by the gang and that he placed other motorists’ lives in danger.

The judge said: “This was a prolonged piece of dreadful driving. You drove in a manner which exhibited a total disregard for the safety of others.

“It is extremely fortunate this offence was not much more serious than it was.”

Recorder Ford sentenced Mann to 10 months in prison and banned him from the road for 18 months.

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

A drunken thug who launched separate attacks on two men in St Helens, leaving one of them blinded, was jailed for 11 and a half years.

Scott Owens, 21, broke “good citizen” Kevin Sheridan’s cheekbone after he tried to stop him stealing alcohol.

The 54-year-old sadly died two weeks later from unrelated issues.

Five days before a trial over that incident, Owens went out drinking again and launched an unprovoked attack on Daryl Seddon, 28.

Mr Seddon, who was already blind in his left eye, had his right eye removed as a result of the attack and is now totally blind.

Fiona McNeill, prosecuting, said Owens tried to get alcohol on credit from a shop in Vincent Street at around 8.30pm on October 27, 2014.

When the shopkeeper refused, he put a £2 can of gin and tonic in his pocket, and knocked over a display.

Concerned customer Kevin Sheridan pursued Owens and grabbed his clothing to apprehend him in William Street.

But the defendant “lashed out” to try and get him off and Mr Sheridan fell to the ground and lost consciousness.

He was treated in hospital for a broken left cheekbone and received five stitches to his left eye.

Ms McNeill said: “Regrettably a few weeks after this incident Mr Sheridan passed away. It is right to say the post mortem examination revealed this was not connected to this particular incident.”

CCTV footage of Owens was circulated by police and he handed himself in.

He admitted downing two bottles of wine and five lagers and said he had struck Mr Sheridan when he swung his right elbow backwards.

Owens admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm and theft on the opening day of a trial on December 3 last year.

Yet he had gone out drinking on November 28, when he fought outside a pizza restaurant in Baldwin Street.

Innocent bystanders Daryl Seddon and Adam Marshall watched the brawl unfold at around 5.20am.

Owens approached Mr Seddon and punched him to the face, causing him to fall to the ground and bang his head on the pavement.

Ms McNeill said: “He kicked him twice to the face with considerable force – so forcefully he stumbled to the floor.”

Mr Seddon’s right eye had to be removed and he underwent an eye transplant. He had previously lost the sight in his left eye in a car crash.

When arrested nearby, Owens denied fighting and made no comment to police.

He pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent. He has two previous convictions including one for a violent offence.

Mr Sheridan’s niece Hannah Seabrook told the court “wicked and cowardly” Owens left her family devastated.

She said: “Kevin was a kind, helpful and caring man who always looked out for others.

“This is exactly what he was doing, looking out for his neighbour and local shopkeeper without any thought for himself. That’s what kind of person he was.”

William Street, St Helens

She said her uncle could not keep food or liquid down afterwards, lost his confidence and became “frail and weak”.

Miss Seabrook added: “As a family we believe that Kevin never fully recovered from the attack and we watched as his health deteriorated and he faded away.”

Mr Seddon said he could no longer work as a plumber, drive, swim, cycle or play pool after losing his sight, adding: “My life is totally ruined now.”

Katy Appleton, defending, said her client was an alcoholic drug user “desperately in need of support and guidance”.

She said he was the product of a “dysfunctional family”, having watched his dad beat his mum, and had tried to kill himself three times.

Ms Appleton said: “He has expressed genuine remorse. He said he would give Mr Seddon his eye if he could. He said ‘I wish I could turn back the clock’.”

Judge Andrew Hatton said Mr Sheridan was a “good citizen” and “anxious that you might get away with it”.

The judge added: “It’s quite clear that Daryl Seddon’s young life is fundamentally damaged.”

He said Owens was a dangerous offender and gave him 11-and-a-half years in jail – of which he will serve at least two thirds behind bars – and four extra years on licence.

Judge Hatton said: “This is to try and protect the public from your thuggish and drunken behaviour.”

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

A charity group has launched a crowdfunding campaign after unsuccessfully challenging a multi-million pound overhaul of Lime Street.

The legal challenge launched by Save Britain’s Heritage, opposing the £35m revamp of the famous Liverpool street, was dismissed by a High Court judge on Friday.

Now the charity organisation, which campaigns for the conservation of historic buildings, wants to take the case to the Court of Appeal.

It is asking for donations totalling £12,500 to cover legal costs.

The fundraising campaign reads: “£12,500 is a small sum to save an important gateway site. If we are successful there is a chance of getting a better solution for the site. Help us SAVE Lime Street!”

Revised plans for the regeneration of the Eastside of Lime Street are due to be considered this week by Liverpool City Councils Planning Committee. The mixed-use vision comprises a new hotel, shops, restaurants and student accommodation and aims to bring vitality and a radically improved visual aspect to the block between the historic Vines and Crown pubs.

The council approved development will include the demolition of the Futurist Cinema to make way for student accommodation, retail units and a hotel built on and behind the famous Liverpool street.

Save Britain’s Heritage director Clem Cecil said: “Save has been campaigning for historic buildings in Liverpool for forty years and knows how important it is to take the long term view. The suggested replacement proposals are poor and, crucially, unnecessary. They replace a coherent street-scape that has evolved over centuries, with a monolithic student block.

How the revamped ABC Cinema building on Lime Street could look. Picture: Infinte 3D Ltd

Following the High Court’s dismissal of Save’s legal challenge, Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said: “We want to get on with allowing the developers to invest in their vision and bring Lime Street up to a much higher standard than it has been for decades and one that is fitting for a major entry point into the city centre.

“This legal move, which I believe was based on spurious grounds, was an attempt by outside interest groups to delay much-needed regeneration, and fortunately the High Court has seen right through it.”

The crowdfunding campaign, which was launched on Friday, has raised just over under £450.

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

A speeding driver who caused the death of Walton charity worker Richard Bratin was jailed for eight years.

The dad-of-one was knocked down by John McGee’s Ford Focus as he walked his dog on Richard Kelly Drive in Walton on Friday, December 18 last year.

Mr Bratin, 52, and his dog died at the scene and police launched a manhunt for the driver after the car was found abandoned nearby.

McGee, 27, from Outer Forum, Norris Green, went on the run with his girlfriend Abbie Freel, 21, and did not contact police to hand himself in until three days later.

He sobbed when he appeared at Liverpool Crown Court this morning via video link from HMP Liverpool.

He pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stop after a road accident.

His girlfriend was charged with assisting an offender after helping him escape Liverpool and finding hotels for them to stay in Blackpool and Warrington.

More stories from the courts

Freel, of Townsend Avenue, Norris Green admitted the charge.

Judge Clement Goldstone, QC, gave her a four months sentence, suspended for 18 months.

The judge also banned Mr Bratin from the road for 10 years.

Mr Bratin’s family have previously paid tribute to the “thoughtful and caring” dad.

They said: “Richie was a loving dad to Richard, so thoughtful and caring. He was always happy and supportive to close friends, family and even to complete strangers.

“He will be sadly missed by all that knew him. The loss of Richie has left his family and friends devastated.”

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

A man has appeared in court charged with causing the death of dad-of-one Richard Bratin by dangerous driving.

The Walton charity worker was knocked down as he walked his dog on Richard Kelly Drive last Friday.

John McGee, 27, from Outer Forum , Norris Green, is accused of causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stop after a road accident.

He appeared at Liverpool magistrates court this morning and was remanded in custody until Wednesday, January 20, to appear at Liverpool Crown Court

Mr Bratin’s family have previously paid tribute to the “thoughtful and caring” dad.

They said: “Richie was a loving dad to Richard, so thoughtful and caring. He was always happy and supportive to close friends, family and even to complete strangers.

“He will be sadly missed by all that knew him. The loss of Richie has left his family and friends devastated.”

Abbie Freel, 21, of Townsend Avenue, Norris Green has been charged with assisting an offender and was due to have a bail hearing at South Sefton Magistrates Court today.

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

John McGee was sentenced to eight years in prison today after knocking over an innocent man and killing him while fleeing police in Walton last year.

Richard Bratin was killed, along with his dog, after going out for a walk on Richard Kelly Drive and being struck by convicted drug dealer McGee, who was out on license from prison at the time.

McGee had been speeding in a 30mph zone when he was noticed by police and was trying to get away when Mr Bratin was killed.

He then fled justice for several days before handing himself in.

A lot of people have been asking why McGee got an eight year sentence, of which he is likely to serve just four years.

The reason is largely down to his plea.

He pleaded guilty at an early stage which entitles him to a reduction of one third so Judge Clement Goldstone QC clearly had a figure of around 12 years in mind.

The maximum sentence he could have given in law is 14 years.

The judge is likely to have considered the crime a level one offence, which has a starting point of eight years and a range of between seven and 14 years, because of the “prolonged, persistent and dangerous course of driving”.

He is also likely to have considered the fact that McGee had previous driving convictions an aggravating factor.

The judge seems to have anticipated the reaction to the sentence when he pointed out in court his sentencing options were limited by the law.

He told family members: “The loss of those who love him (Mr Bratin) is in many ways a life sentence – a sentence which is not open for this court to pass.”

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

A feared gangster exchanged “large quantities of black market cash” with a prominent Liverpool property developer, prosecutors claimed today.

Security boss Stephen Clarke, 48, was subjected to further interrogation on his dealings with the businessman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at an ongoing Proceeds of Crime hearing at Preston Crown Court.

Clarke and his brother Peter Clarke, 37, headed a sprawling criminal network which trafficked cocaine and cannabis to Northern Ireland and Manchester. The pair were jailed for a combined 26 and a half years in 2013.

Now the brothers are locked in a battle over their alleged £2m fortune, which prosecutors claim is “squirrelled away in a murky web of hidden assets” linked to Stephen and Peter, and their respective wives Rachel and Maria Clarke.

Nick Johnson, QC, prosecuting, described detectives observing Clarke handing a bag, containing £50,000 cash, to an employee of the developer.

Clarke earlier claimed the money was a loan to help his friend finance a deal.

Mr Johnson suggested: “(The developer) knew this was all dodgy money, he knew this was all the proceeds of crime didn’t he?”

Clarke conceded: “It was all untaxed money.”

Mr Johnson said: “He is a money launderer isn’t he? He is someone who is prepared to take large quantities of black market cash.”

Clarke replied: “He is a property developer, Mr Johnson.”

He was also grilled by Mr Johnson over a £115,000 worth of payments he received from the developer, declared to HM Revenue & Customs as rental income and paid into to his bank account over three years.

Clarke explained the money was for ensuring his friend’s development sites were not damaged by criminals in the city, and told the court he had a “network” he could use to “speak to people” causing any trouble.

But Mr Johnson said: “The reality of it is this was dodgy money coming to you from (the developer), and you can’t offer any sensible justification for having received it.”

The court also heard evidence about Clarke’s involvement in his brother’s drugs conspiracy.

He told the court he only became involved in the “Green” (cannabis) conspiracy after struggling to recoup two £100,000 loans to convicted drug dealers David Byron and Mark Wyatt.

He said: “I got involved in something I should never have been involved in. I put my wife and kids through that and I will never put them through it again.”

The court also heard evidence from accountant David Fairhurst, who prepared a report on businesses linked to Clarke.

Under questioning from Nigel Power, QC, defending, he said dividends paid to a joint bank account belonging to Stephen and Rachel Clarke, from Clarke’s various security and scaffolding firms, broadly matched earnings he declared as tax.

However Mr Johnson asked about two firms, Safe Scaff One and Stealth Security, which did not send full accounts when asked by Mr Fairhurst.

Mr Fairhurst said Clarke’s solicitors informed him the records for Stealth had been destroyed, while he never received any explanation about Safe Scaff One.

Preston Crown Court

The court also heard from 42-year-old John Dwyer, a contracts manager for Clarke’s most successful security agency, Premier Approved, which is still operating.

Mr Johnson alleged earlier in proceedings that the business, which works by charging a commission for finding other companies work guarding building sites, was “highly suspicious.”

The court heard the business is run by Lyndsey Dally, the wife of Clarke’s business partner Kevin Dally, alongside Clarke’s father William Clarke.

Under questioning from Mr Power, Mr Dwyer said he “found the work” through a network of contacts in the construction industry before deciding which security firm would be most suited to the job.

He said Premier had provided firms for security work on sites including the Royal Liverpool Hospital and schools across Liverpool.

Mr Johnson began cross examining Mr Dwyer on his contacts and he was able to provide a list of names linked to major firms including Redrow homes, Wilmot Dixon, Carillion and Morgan Sindall.

The complex Proceeds of Crime Act hearing is set to continue into February.

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

A neighbour who gave comfort to man as he lay dying, the victim of a hit and run driver, said what happened that night will “haunt him forever”.

Richard Bratin, 51, and his German Shepherd dog Austin died when they were hit by John McGee’s Ford Focus in Richard Kelly Drive, Walton.

McGee, 27, who did not have his lights on at the time as he was trying to escape police – left the dad-of-one for dead and went on the run with his girlfriend Abbie Freel, 21.

Walton man Kevin Joyce saw Mr Bratin cross the street, before he heard a “loud bang” and watched John McGee’s Ford speed away.

He rushed to the victim’s aid, but Mr Bratin died shortly afterwards. He later told police: “It will haunt me forever.”

John McGee

In a statement read to the court Mr Joyce said: “His injuries were horrific. I will never forget it for the rest of my life. I can’t get the images of Richie and his dog out of my head.

“I tried to keep him awake, talking to him and tried to comfort him. I kept telling him he wasn’t on his own, I wasn’t going to leave him, everything was okay and someone was helping him. I just hope he could hear me and knew he wasn’t on his own when he died.

“I hope Richie’s family can eventually get their lives back together and have happier times.”

Floral tributes left on Richard Kelly Drive,Walton,where Richard Bratin was killed in a hit-and-run on Friday night.

Originally from Liverpool city centre, Mr Bratin had moved to Walton just weeks previously, after living with his nephew Paul in St Helens.

Paul told the ECHO previously: “He was always up for a laugh. I am going to miss his cheekiness and mischievousness the most.

“He would do anything for his son – really, he would have done anything for anyone. A lot of people loved him. He was just one of those people.”

Mr Bratin’s sister Andria Morris told the court her family lost “a son, father, brother, uncle and friend” in the incident on December 18 last year.

Floral tributes left on Richard Kelly Drive

She told the court: “This horrendous tragedy is a tormenting living hell for our family.

“Death is inevitable to us all, whether it be old age, illness. You get to say your goodbyes to loved ones. As a family we did not get that opportunity.

“Richie was a doting father, best friend to his son, taken at a time when his son needs him so much. As a family we can only try to fill this void.

“New members of the family will grow up with no memories or the privilege to have known Richie. This reckless act will have repercussions for generations to come.”

Mr Bratin volunteered at the Honey Rose Foundation in St Helens, which raises money and organises special days for people fighting life-threatening illnesses.

Ms Morris said: “We have lost a man wanting to do something good in life. A caring man making a positive impact on society and helping terminally ill people. Those people have also been robbed.

“So much more has been taken from us as a family that can be put into words.”

McGee, a convicted drug dealer, of Outer Forum, Norris Green, was jailed for eight years at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday after admitting dangerous driving and failing to stop.

His girlfriend Freel, of Townsend Avenue, Norris Green, pleaded guilty to assisting an offender and was handed four months in jail, suspended for 18 months.

More stories from the courts

Motorist David Penny said McGee headed straight towards him on the wrong side of the road with his lights out before he hit Mr Bratin.

Mr Penny had to swerve to avoid the Ford – travelling at up to 60mph – and nearly collided with another car.

He also heard a loud bang, spotted Mr Bratin and his dog lying in the road, and went to try and help.

Mr Penny said: “I’ve had a hard time getting over what I saw.

“I keep seeing that car driving towards me and keep thinking of the poor victim being hit. It was so horrible I don’t have the words for it.

“What I saw that night was terrible. It was the most dangerous driving I’ve ever seen.

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

These grim pictures reveal the disgusting state of a Southport takeaway.

Hygiene inspectors found the floor of Flames littered with food debris, walls marked with heavy grease and congealed blood inside a pizza topping tub.

The boss of the Eastbank Street takeaway, Faruk Aydogan, was fined £1,300 after breaching food safety standards.

Flames was handed zero-star hygiene rating by Sefton Council in May.

Fiona Townsend, prosecuting for the council, told magistrates in Bootle: “Two officers visited in May. On arrival the officers found the takeaway open for business.

“They were greeted by the defendant and then asked if they could return tomorrow.

“They said they were doing it today as it was open for business."

Flames on Eastbank Street

“They found that the floor was littered with food debris, they found the wall and floor had heavy grease, beneath the stock table they found yellow and brown grease, in the pizza topping tub they found congealed blood deposits.”

Revealed: Merseyside’s zero star restaurants and takeaways

Aydogan pleaded guilty to failing to keep the takeaway clean and in a state of good repair. He also admitted not keeping the food equipment cleaned and disinfected to prevent infection.

The court heard how the takeaway had received written warnings from 2010 until May this year.

Inspectors returned in November when the takeaway was awarded a three-star hygiene rating.

Flames on Eastbank Street

Aydogan said: “Since that day we have got better and better. I invited the council to come and visit again.

“We were unlucky to have the inspection (on that day).

“(A colleague) had a baby and so I was by myself and it was bank holiday weekend.

“But since then it is clean and I have improved and we are still improving.

“It wasn’t in a good condition, but we realised we needed to be more and more careful.”

Watch: inside cockroach-infested Liverpool takeaway

Aydogan said he hopes to obtain a five-star rating.

He said: “[The takeaway] went up to four stars but unfortunately last May it was unlucky. We need to take more responsibility.

“Business is going down. We need five stars. We do our best now and I invite inspectors to come back any time.”

The Flames takeaway on Eastbank Street in Southport. Photo by Google Street View

A spokesman for Sefton Council said: “Hopefully this guilty plea sends a clear message to all food businesses across Sefton for the need of responsible food hygiene management.

“All food business operators must ensure that they follow strict hygiene regulations at all times and failure to do so can have severe consequences for the people who eat or work at their premises.

“This court case came about from a routine inspection and businesses need to know that if they fail to comply with hygiene regulations, we have no choice other than to prosecute them.”

Dirty takeaways

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

A drunken lout threatened to bite a police dog after waving a craft knife in front of a group of children in Croxteth .

Thomas Broadhurst, 26, was spotted holding the blade in one hand and a golf club in the other in Sovereign Road on April 3 last year.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how he later approached a police officer – minus the knife – and became abusive to the dog handler.

Robert Jones, prosecuting, said: “He said ‘f*** you’ and said ‘I will bite that f***ing dog if it bites me’.”

The officer had been called to an incident outside Broadhurst’s house in nearby Regal Road at around 4pm.

Mr Jones said: “The dog began to bark and he told the defendant to back off because he was concerned not only for his safety, but also the children in the vicinity.

“The defendant was abusive to him. He suggested that he was going to attack the police dog.”

Police recovered the knife in a doll’s pram outside the Broadhurst’s home. He was arrested and then released on bail.

A few months later, on July 9, he was seen bare-chested and drunk in the road close to his house and a police officer escorted him home.

At 3.30am the next morning his neighbour Diane Summerhayes was woken by police who told her that her car window had been smashed.

She called her husband Christopher, who was working nights, and he returned home to help sweep up the broken glass.

He heard shouting and saw a bare-chested man walking down the road holding a large wooden two-by-four.

Mr Summerhayes tried to calm the situation by saying “hello mate, what are you doing?”

Broadhurst replied “I’m looking for someone, anyone” and, when Mr Summerhayes turned away, he hit him with the plank.

Mr Jones said: “He was dizzy and watched the male walk away.”

Mr Summerhayes suffered a graze behind his left ear and swelling.

When arrested, “extremely erratic” Broadhurst was “foaming at the mouth”.

In court today he admitted possessing a blade and public disorder. No charges were pursued in relation to the golf club.

The defendant pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon in relation to the wood and assault causing actual bodily harm.

Mr Jones said he had “an extensive record” of offending anti-social behaviour.

Broadhurst was given a two-year ASBO when he was 19, which banned him from parts of Croxteth, after encouraging dogs to fight in the street.

In January 2012 he was jailed for three years for racially aggravated wounding.

The Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts, Liverpool Crown Court. File picture. Photo by Ian Cooper

Rachel Oakdene, defending, said her client had been drinking and taking drugs and “really has no idea why he had the knife”.

She said: “From a young age he has sought solace in alcohol.”

Ms Oakdene said Broadhurst’s dad had been diagnosed with throat cancer, his partner lost a child, and he lost his job at a factory.

She said: “He turned to alcohol and cocaine use. He says it was an explanation but not an excuse for this loutish behaviour.”

Jailing Broadhurst for 12 months, Judge Neill Flewitt, QC, said: “The possession of a Stanley knife in a public place is in itself a serious matter.

“Combined with the drink and drugs you had taken it doesn’t take much imagination to think how that could have escalated and gone badly wrong.”

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/

The owners of a prominent Liverpool security firm today denied moving cash from their accounts in an attempt to hide it from authorities going after feared gangster Stephen Clarke’s money.

Clarke, 48, and his brother Peter Clarke, 37, headed a ruthless criminal network trafficking cocaine and cannabis to Northern Ireland and Manchester.

The pair, who had access to a Southport lock-up stocked with guns, samurai swords and machetes, were locked up for a combined 26 and a half years in 2013.

Now prosecutors are battling to reclaim an alleged £2m criminal fortune from Stephen, Peter and their respective wives Rachel and Maria Clarke, which they allege is “squirrelled away in a murky web of hidden assets.”

Today Preston Crown Court heard extensive evidence on Premier Approved ltd, an agency which took a commission for finding work on construction sites for other security firms.

Nick Johnson, QC, prosecuting, earlier alleged the activities of the company were “highly suspicious” and claimed several of the security firms sub-contracted by Premier were linked to Stephen Clarke.

The firm was founded in 2006 by Clarke and his friends from the security industry; Tony Rimmer, Peter Littler and Kevin Dally.

Mr Dally’s wife Lynsey Dally, director of the company, was questioned over the transfer of Stephen and Rachel Clarke’s 25% share in the business to other shareholders, including herself, Stephen’s dad Billy Clarke, his wife Lorraine Clarke and Mr Rimmer.

Mr Johnson said: “This was all part of an attempt to frustrate the confiscation process by moving assets out of their name.”

But Mrs Dally claimed she had been worried about a proposed new law which would prevent anyone with a criminal conviction from acting as “the controlling mind” behind a company.

She said: “It was a proposed solution at the time because we would have been a company with a share of nothing, I was panicking to be honest.”

Although she admitted she had little to do with the day to day running of the business, she described its “simple” business model as its strength.

She said: “Its success is its simplicity. We have taken ourselves out of supplying people, which are a very expensive commodity for a business.”

The court also heard from contracts manager John Dwyer, described by Nigel Power, QC, defending, as the “rainmaker” bringing work into the company.

Mr Dwyer explained his contacts within the construction industry asked him to provide security firms for their sites.

Mr Power showed the court photos from a series of construction projects Premier had provided security for in the area, including at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, Grafton Park and Herculaneum Quay.

Preston Crown Court

However Mr Johnson questioned Mr Dwyer on when he began work for the company.

The court heard he worked on a freelance basis until 2013, when he began to work as a regular employee for Premier.

Mr Johnson said: “You never made any declarations to HM Revenue & Customs in the years 2009 to 2013 did you?”

Mr Dwyer replied: “I don’t have to talk about that, that is between me and the HMRC.”

The court also heard he had been disqualified from driving, and he was asked explain how he travelled to meet clients.

Mr Dwyer replied: “I got about, I just had to get on with it. I would get taxis, or lifts. It was my own fault so I just had to deal with it.”

Mr Power called office manager of Premier Claire Hickey to the stand, who provided a series of invoices sent to sub-contractors and described keeping track of the various jobs obtained by Mr Dwyer.

Billy Clarke, also called to give evidence, described the business as “legitimate.”

The complex Proceeds of Crime Act hearing is due to continue until early next month.

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Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/