Paedo fireman, pub thug and Maccies flasher among 9 crooks jailed this week

Sep 07, 2023

These are the criminals from our region who were locked up over the past seven days

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A paedophile firefighter, a man who kept a gun next to his bed in case of a "complete breakdown in society" and a McDonald's flasher were among the Merseyside criminals jailed over the last week.

Also locked up was a granddad who used his job as a lorry driver as cover to transport hundreds of thousands of pounds of heroin across the country. Meanwhile, Liverpool Crown Court heard that a cocaine-fuelled customer launched pool balls across a busy pub and shout "I'll slice yous all up".

Here are the faces of nine criminals from our region who were imprisoned in the past seven days:

READ MORE: Grandad puffs out cheeks and says 'wow' as he's jailed over £1m drug gang

Alan Madden

A man who shared videos from banned far-right organisation National Action kept a gun next to his bed in case of a "complete breakdown in society".

Wirral man Alan Madden was ensnared by a Counter Terrorism Policing North West investigation into suspected right-wing extremism material on social media. Madden's home on Boundary Road, Port Sunlight - which he shared with his wife - was raided by officers from the counter-terrorism unit and Merseyside Police on September 15 last year.

When police raided the house the 65-year-old was asked if he knew why, to which he replied "not really". During the raid police uncovered a number of weapons throughout the house. A Czech-made CZ Model 83, a 9mm pistol, was found in an unlocked box next to his bed.

Madden, who appeared by video link from HMP Liverpool wearing a black jacket and glasses, was jailed for seven and a half years after pleading guilty to dissemination of a terrorist publication and three counts of stirring up racial hatred. The defendant will also serve an additional year on licence following his custodial sentence.

Kevin Jones

A former firefighter raped a girl over a three year period which started when she was just 13.

Kevin Jones, of Norman Road, Runcorn, pleaded guilty to six sexual offences, including three counts of rape of a girl under 16, and was jailed for 10 years. The abuse happened over a three-year period when the schoolgirl was aged between 13 and 16 years old.

Paul Campbell

The ringleader of a drugs gang returned to Liverpool with thousands of pounds in cash after ferrying drugs into Northamptonshire.

Paul Campbell, 43, of Tom Mann Close, made at least 28 trips to the East Midlands county with his associates James Connor, 35, and Wayne Toner, 51, both from Wapshare Road in Norris Green, delivering packages of cocaine and amphetamine. They were among 10 men involved in the major drug supply network that bought and sold class A and B drugs with an estimated street value of £885,500 - ferring them from Merseyside into Kettering, Corby and Northampton over a period of at least two years between August 2019 and August 2021.

Campbell received a total sentence of 12 years and nine months behind bars. Connor was jailed for eight years and seven months while Toner was given six years and three months.

Aaren Murphy

A paedophile was caught when he posted vile images of children on Snapchat and Instagram.

When police raided Aaren Murphy's home and discovered his stash of nearly 2,000 indecent images, the 22-year-old told them: "It's from Telegram, it just saves to my phone. I do know it's illegal."

Murphy pleaded guilty to eight sexual offences. He was jailed for three years and four months.

Stephen Townsend

Members of staff cowered behind the bar in fear as a cocaine-fuelled customer launched pool balls across a crowded pub and shouted "I'll slice yous all up".

Stephen Townsend asked "do you know who I am?" when he was challenged over his thuggish behaviour before kicking a police officer in the face. He appeared to be in tears as he was locked up on the eve of his 31st birthday over the incident.

Townsend admitted affray and assaulting an emergency services worker. He sat with his arms folded in the dock as he was jailed for 14 months, having been seen dabbing his eyes with a tissue earlier in the hearing.

Thomas Stanley

A convicted child rapist shared vile materials with a fellow sex offender who he met in prison.

Thomas Stanley struck up a friendship with the other inmate while they were behind bars together before sending him an indecent image over WhatsApp once released. In one sickening message, he even apologised that the child abuse picture was "not of the best quality".

Stanley admitted distributing indecent images, possession of indecent images, three counts of making indecent images and breaching a sexual harm prevention order. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse, he was locked up for a further 32 months.

Peter Steinitz

A serial sex offender claimed his young victims "laughed at him" when he exposed himself to them as they walked home from school.

Peter Steinitz spotted the girls near to a McDonald's then began to follow them around as he performed a sex act on himself. The pensioner has now amassed convictions for 20 separate sexual offences.

Steinitz admitted outraging public decency and breaching a sexual offences prevention order. He was jailed for 32 months.

Stanley Feerick

A grandad used his job as a lorry driver as cover as he transported hundreds of thousands of pounds of heroin across the country.

Stanley Feerick handed over a hold-all packed with several kilos of the class A drug when he was pulled over by police at a motorway service station, Liverpool Crown Court heard today. The pensioner was also part of a gang behind a £1million amphetamine lab who carried out their dodgy dealings in a Costco car park.

Feerick admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and participating in the activities of an organised crime group. He was jailed for eight-and-a-half years.

Andrew Carter

A laughing pervert instructed a '13-year-old girl' to practice kissing using apples and oranges.

Andrew Carter was also caught telling the supposed teen "age is just a number". But, unbeknown to him, he was actually being ensnared in a paedophile hunter sting.

Carter admitted arranging a child sex offence, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting sexual communications with a child. He laughed before leaning forward and resting his head on the front of the dock after he was jailed for 33 months.

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