These are the faces of 13 Merseyside criminals who were jailed this week
An Audi driver who left a woman with life-changing injuries and a man who stabbed a member of staff at David Lloyd were amongst those locked up
04:00, 10 Feb 2025
From left; Ryan Addy, Gabrielle Dures and Ewan Blair(Image: Merseyside Police)An Audi driver who left a woman with life-changing injuries, a man who stabbed a member of staff at David Lloyd and a dad who ran a "chop shop" were among the Merseyside criminals jailed over the past seven days. Also locked up this week was a "sexual predator" who has now been jailed for life after attacking a fifth victim.
Meanwhile, Liverpool Crown Court[1] heard that a motorcyclist confessed "I've f***ed up, that was my fault" after he caused a crash which left a man in a wheelchair. Here are the faces of 12 defendants from across our region who were imprisoned over the last seven days:
Timmy Donovan, Christopher Roper, James Vaughan and Arron O'Sullivan
Timmy Donovan, 40, of Walsingham Road, Childwall(Image: NCA)A police raid on a car dealership brought down a multi-million pound money laundering scheme involving a man who killed an off-duty police officer.
The highly prolific scheme saw six men wash huge quantities of cash obtained through the proceeds of drug trafficking.
The plot, led by Timmy Donovan[2], involved drop offs of hundreds of thousands of pounds in cash a time at Wavertree[3] Car Centre, where Christopher Roper was an employee. The top man also deployed his brother-in-law James Vaughan and Arron O'Sullivan to chase debts and organise cash drops. Deliveries were largely completed by taxi driver Paul Duncan and Kenneth Kean, who were referred to in messages on encrypted communications platform EncroChat as Boris and Theresa.
Arron O'Sullivan, 41, of Deepfield Drive, Liverpool, operated as "filthyburrito" and "amplebee" on EncroChat(Image: NCA)Donovan was jailed for 14-and-a-half years. O'Sullivan received seven-and-a-half years, while Vaughan was imprisoned for four years and three months.
James Vaughan, 38, of Green Lane, Liverpool, was previously on the NCA's Most Wanted fugitives list(Image: NCA)Roper was locked up for three years and 10 months.
Kean and Duncan were both handed two years in prison suspended for two years.
Christopher Roper, 41, of Allerton Road, Liverpool(Image: NCA)Mark Harrison
Mark Harrison of Sheil Road, Kensington, was jailed (Image: Merseyside Police )A man was found with sick images of children and videos of upskirting. Mark Harrison[4] pleaded guilty to taking and possessing indecent images, recording equipment under clothing without consent and possession of extreme pornographic images and was jailed for two years.
Jake Dearden
Jake Dearden was jailed for three years and nine months (Image: Merseyside Police )A man was jailed after what police discovered on his phone. Jake Dearden[5] was identified as being the handler of a phone being used to supply heroin and crack cocaine to people in St Helens[6].
The 26-year-old admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine, possession of criminal property and possession of cannabis. He was locked up for three years and nine months.
Ryan Addy
Ryan Addy(Image: Merseyside Police)A motorcyclist confessed "I've f***ed up, that was my fault" after he caused a crash which left a man in a wheelchair. Ryan Addy spent all day drinking beer but got on his bike and rode to the shop as he "felt fine to ride"[7].
Instead, he ran a red light and smashed into the side of a car.
His pillion passenger suffered devastating and life-changing injuries, including a broken neck, as a result of the incident and spent months in hospital.
Addy admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving and drink driving. He was jailed for 30 months and banned from driving for five years.
Ewan Blair
Ewan Blair, 21, of Brownlow Hill in Liverpool city centre, was jailed (Image: Merseyside Police )A "deplorable" rapist attacked two women within days of each other. Ewan Blair[8] sexually assaulted two women in their 20s after befriending the women in Liverpool city centre[9].
The 21-year-old was convicted of three counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, assault by penetration and oral rape. He was sentenced to eight years in prison and an additional two years on licence.
Gabrielle Dures
Gabrielle Dures(Image: Merseyside Police)A drink driver crashed head-on into another car at twice the speed limit, leaving a woman with life-changing injuries and several others hurt. Gabrielle Dures[10] was the driver of an Audi A1 that crashed into a Fiat 500 on Coastal Drive, in New Brighton[11], on the evening of May 28 2023.
The 24-year-old, who had been drinking shots, sped along as her panicking passengers begged her to slow down.
She ignored their pleas and ploughed into the Fiat at 63mph, causing serious injuries to occupants of both wrecked vehicles.
Dures pleaded guilty to four offences of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. She dabbed away tears in the dock as she was jailed for two years and eight months.
Mariyan Grudev
Mariyan Grudev(Image: Cheshire Police)A rapist nodded when a judge labelled him a "sexual predator" then smiled as he was jailed for life. Mariyan Grudev stalked a woman through the streets as she walked home from a night out before raping her[12].
He then struck again four years later in an almost identical manner, although his barefooted victim was bravely able to fight him off and run to a Tesco[13] supermarket for help after he had dragged the teenager into some bushes. The serial offender has a record of previous convictions for rape and sexual assault, committed in his home country as far back as nearly 20 years ago.
Grudev, who was assisted by an interpreter in the dock, was found guilty of rape by a jury following a trial but admitted attempted rape.
Wearing a blue fleece and sporting receding dark hair, he was handed a life imprisonment with a minimum term of 14 years minus the 555 days he has spent in custody to date.
Michael Ross
Michael Ross, of Darmonds Green Avenue, Anfield(Image: Merseyside police)A dad operated an illegal "chop shop" from his Rice Lane garage, stripping stolen cars for parts. Michael Ross[14] took on a number of stolen vehicles with a combined value of around GBP150,000, causing "untold inconvenience and losses" for victims.
The 41-year-old pleaded guilty to 12 counts of handling stolen goods and one count of concealing stolen goods. He was jailed for 18 months.
Stephen Ellison
Stephen Ellison, of Eastham Rake, Wirral(Image: Merseyside police)A paedophile sent lewd messages to what he thought was a 13-year-old girl and arranged to meet her at a Liverpool city centre[15] hotel. Stephen Ellison[16] told the so-called girl that he would "love to have a snog" with her but, unbeknown to him, was actually chatting online with an undercover police officer.
The 47-year-old pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images, distributing indecent images, possession of an extreme pornographic image and two counts of attempted sexual communications with a child. He was jailed for 18 months.
Elliot Ashton
Elliot Ashton(Image: Merseyside Police)A member of staff at David Lloyd posted a picture of his gruesome injury to Snapchat alongside the caption "I'm going to die" after he was stabbed in the head by a gymgoer. Elliot Ashton[17] asked the worker, his sister's ex-boyfriend, to call him a taxi before slashing him with a knife without warning, leaving him with a horrific wound across the side of his face which required 76 stitches.
The thug then ran outside and demanded a woman's car as an escape vehicle, telling her "I need a lift, give me your f***ing car".
He was ultimately arrested carrying a stab vest outside a Nando's restaurant after failing to flee the scene.
Ashton admitted wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article in a public place.
Appearing in the dock wearing a navy blue coat and sporting short mousey hair, he was jailed for six years and nine months.
Article continues belowOne man in the public gallery sat with his head in his hands as the sentence was passed.
Ashton will be required to serve two thirds of this term behind bars before becoming eligible for release on parole, and was handed an additional three-year licence period.
References
- ^ Liverpool Crown Court (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Timmy Donovan (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Wavertree (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Mark Harrison (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Jake Dearden (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ St Helens (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Ryan Addy spent all day drinking beer but got on his bike and rode to the shop as he "felt fine to ride" (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Ewan Blair (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Liverpool city centre (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Gabrielle Dures (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ New Brighton (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Mariyan Grudev stalked a woman through the streets as she walked home from a night out before raping her (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Tesco (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Michael Ross (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Liverpool city centre (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Stephen Ellison (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Elliot Ashton (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)