Wirral man who posed as taxi driver to kidnap and sexually abuse woman jailed

WIRRAL MAN WHO POSED AS TAXI DRIVER TO KIDNAP AND SEXUALLY ABUSE WOMAN JAILED

Damian Watson, aged 36, was operating a white Mercedes van when he picked up a woman in Liverpool's Anfield district in April.

The woman, believing she was calling an Uber, got into his vehicle.

Once inside, Watson stopped in alleyways and aggressively demanded that she take off her clothing while filming her.

Frightened and forcibly kept inside the van, the woman managed to call 999 but did not speak, and she also contacted her boyfriend.

Police tracked him down using the data from the abandoned call and discovered footage on his devices showing him filming the victim.

Watson was subsequently arrested and charged with kidnapping, voyeurism, false imprisonment, and causing someone to engage in sexual activity against their will.

Although he initially denied the allegations, he later admitted guilt to the charges of kidnapping and sexual assault, receiving a prison sentence of five years and six months.

The court ordered his phones to be confiscated and destroyed.

The Crown Prosecution Service described him as a predatory offender who exploited her trust and impersonated a taxi driver to commit the attack, highlighting her courage in helping to secure justice.