LIVERPOOL RAPIST LIAM COWLEY SENTENCED TO 23 YEARS FOR HORRIFIC ASSAULTS
A vile rapist broke into a pregnant woman's home in the dead of night and raped in a terrifying hours-long assault as she pleaded for mercy.Liam Cowley, 32, armed himself with two knives from the kitchen and chillingly told his victim "you know what's going to happen next" before repeatedly raping her.
Cowley, of no fixed address, had targeted the vulnerable woman in Liverpool after stealing one of her front door keys.
He manipulated her with threats of reporting her to social services, claiming she had willingly given him the key and risked having her children taken away.
He took advantage of this fear, letting himself into her home multiple times during the night, sometimes assaulting her while she was asleep.
During the trial at Liverpool Crown Court, prosecutor Martine Snowdon said: "The defendant on a number of occasions just did what he wanted when he wanted in circumstances where she was not consenting to it, and he was repeatedly threatening and intimidating her." In one instance, Cowley invaded the woman's home while her children were sleeping upstairs, immediately launching into a violent attack by headbutting and spitting on her.
While drunk, he demanded the victim to "go and make me a f****** steak".
When she refused, he responded with a punch to the side of her head and destroyed her phone as she tried to dial 999, reports the Liverpool Echo.
She went to go upstairs and he began ripping at her clothes.
He told her she couldn't check on the children, she couldn't go to the toilet and wasn't to leave his sight.
He continued to be aggressive and took two knives from the kitchen, putting one on the side near the door and another next to her on the sofa and said "you know what's going to happen next".
She said "I don't know, you're probably going to kill me", and believed that is what he was going to do.
His response was "no, much worse".
Following these threats, he sexually assaulted the woman twice.
After he fell asleep, the woman managed to escape the house with her two children, seeking safety in a nearby mobile phone shop.
She contacted the police, leading to Cowley's arrest and subsequent charges for multiple offences.
He was scheduled to stand trial at Liverpool Crown Court in early 2024.
However, he failed to appear, and it was later discovered he had absconded to Norfolk, where he was working in a bar under the alias Tommy Lee King.
In July 2024, the 32 year old began a relationship with a teenage colleague and moved into her mother's home in Wareside.
The relationship, which lasted five months, was marred by several instances of violence perpetrated by Cowley against the 19 year old.
Ms Snowdon said: "She described occasions when, during an argument, Tommy would try and strangle her.
He would pin her to the bed and grab her throat.
This had happened a few times but she specifically recalled it happening on two occasions, both taking place during arguments in which he physically assaulted her as well as strangling her.
She also described him spitting at her in the course of arguments." On 7 December 2024, following an assault where Cowley had punched and strangled her, the young woman sought medical attention.
Ms Snowdon explained: "She allowed the police to take photographs of her injuries.
but at that stage she didn't want to make a formal complaint and just wanted to move on from the relationship." It was only after the police had left that she discovered, through a friend of her mother's and social media research, that Tommy Lee King was not his real name.
In reality, he was Liam Cowley, a man wanted for other offences in Liverpool.
Cowley, previously of Kingham Road in Wareside, faced arrest once more and stood trial at Liverpool Crown Court this July.
He contested three rape charges, four counts of intentional strangulation, and making threats to kill, but was convicted on all counts.
Additionally, he admitted guilt to two assault charges and one bail breach.
His sentencing was originally scheduled for September, though this was postponed after he alleged he suffered from OCD, ADHD, borderline personality disorder and a brain injury that influenced his conduct.
Subsequent investigations revealed no medical evidence supporting any of these claimed conditions.
During yesterday's sentencing hearing on Wednesday, December 10, defence barrister Graham Wilson stated: "I have seen nothing of medical notes.
It seems the injuries he has reported to his head were never reported and he never went to hospital for them.
"The defendant during his time in custody has done many courses.
He has been an enhanced prisoner in Bedford and Liverpool.
She was working in mental health and also in the neurodiversity area to understand his own, what he describes as ADHA, although that is not confirmed by any medical or psychological evidence.
The defendant believes he has ADHD and that's what he believes was a factor in his assaults.
"He has work lined up for when he gets out of prison.
That, he accepts, could be a number of years.
"This is a man who, despite these very serious offences, is in many ways trying to come to terms with what he is and why he behaves in the way he has.
I accept he doesn't accept guilt on the rape matters.
The sentence is bound to be a lengthy one." Cowley received an 18-year prison term, coupled with an additional five-year extended licence period owing to the danger he poses, resulting in a total extended sentence of 23 years.
