STEVE LEQUESNE FROM TUEBROOK SENTENCED FOR RAPE IN LIVERPOOL AND GRESHAM

In October 2021, Steven Lequesne, a 23-year-old man also known by the alias Steven McCain, was convicted and sentenced for a brutal sexual assault that took place in Liverpool. The case drew significant attention due to Lequesne's prior history of indecent behavior and the severity of his recent attack.

Lequesne's criminal record is extensive, with 15 previous convictions encompassing 21 separate offenses. Notably, he has a history of disturbing conduct, including harassment against his own mother in 2018 and two incidents of outraging public decency in November 2020. These latter offenses involved inappropriate acts on buses in Liverpool, specifically on Sir Thomas Street in the city centre and in Gorsey Lane in Litherland. Despite these previous offenses, Lequesne was not incarcerated or mandated to register as a sex offender at that time, a decision that has since been scrutinized.

His past actions also include public indecency, with two convictions for such offenses in late 2020. In those incidents, Lequesne was seen performing lewd acts in front of passengers, including women and a child, on buses. Witnesses recorded his behavior and uploaded videos to social media, which led to his identification and subsequent arrest. During these episodes, he was observed drinking from a bottle of Jack Daniel's, further highlighting his reckless behavior.

The most recent and heinous crime occurred in Southport during the summer, where Lequesne targeted a lone, vulnerable woman after a night out. CCTV footage captured the horrifying scene as the woman fought back, kicking and struggling to escape from Lequesne, who was raping her in nearby bushes. A brave passerby, Christopher Fletcher, intervened during the assault. He managed to subdue Lequesne by placing him in a chokehold and punching him in the face, actions that undoubtedly prevented further harm to the victim.

Following the attack, Lequesne was arrested and brought before Liverpool Crown Court. The prosecution, led by Robert Wyn Jones, described the incident vividly, noting that the victim and her child had witnessed Lequesne masturbating on a bus, an act that was recorded and shared on social media. The other victim, a woman traveling alone, also came forward. Lequesne was drinking from a bottle of Jack Daniel's during these incidents, which occurred on buses in Liverpool city centre and Litherland.

Initially, Lequesne received a suspended sentence of 24 weeks in prison in November 2020, but this was not served immediately. The court later sentenced him to 10 and a half years in prison for the rape, with an extended license period of four and a half years. The judge, Recorder Matthew Corbett-Jones, described Lequesne as an