Seven Sefton men given full gang injunction orders

Seven members of a gang in Sefton who blighted the community with their gang related activities have all been given full gang injunction orders by a court in Liverpool.

The seven men had already been on Interim Gang Injunction Orders since April 3rd 2015. Working in partnership with Sefton Council, Merseyside Police successfully obtained the full gang injunctions which are valid until midnight on 2nd November 2017.
For several years the men, who are all aged between 19 and 25, acted as a gang to commit acts of violence towards rival gang members and their property. Evidence was provided to the court of violence, damage to property, use of firearms and threats and intimidation.

Local agencies gathered information from the area to build up a picture of the impact the gang and their rivals were having on communities in parts of Bootle and Litherland.

This was combined with several hundred pages of police officer statements, police incident logs and CCTV presenting a comprehensive case to Liverpool County Court on Tuesday 3rd November of gang violence.

Full gang injunction orders have been obtained against:

• Daniel Gubb, aged 21
• Anthony John Bennett, aged 21
• Luke Peter Durham, aged 22
• Sonny James Redmond, 22
• John Paul Rea, aged 25
• Michael King, aged 22
• Kyle Horrocks, aged 19

Under the conditions of the orders, each of the men are banned from:

• Being with, associating with, communicating with or approaching each other or a further 11 named individuals either in person, on the phone or by other electronic means
• Entering two specific defined areas of Bootle (see maps attached to press release) which are: A) the area bounded by and including Stanley Road from the junction with Balliol Road to Celia Street, Celia Street to Marsh Street, and Hawthorne Road between its junctions with Marsh Street and Balliol Road. B) the area bounded by but NOT including Linacre Road from its junction with Lily Road to the roundabout on Knowsley Road, between this junction of Knowsley Road and the junction with Bowles Street, and from Bowles Street to Akenside Street and along the disused railway and embankment that leads back to Lily Road and Linacre Road.
• The only exceptions are streets which the individuals need to use in order to return to their home address, or when using public transport to travel through the designated areas (they are not allowed to disembark while in the designated areas however)
• Being in possession of any Class A or B drugs while in Merseyside
• Being in possession of any equipment for use in the production or distribution of Class A or B drugs
• Using or threatening to use violence against any person or any property in Merseyside
• Engaging in any threatenting or abusive behaviour in Merseyside
• Owning or being in possession of more than one mobile phone or SIM card, or any phone or SIM card whose number has not been disclosed to the police
• The full orders last for two years and any breaches of the conditions can result in the individual being arrested and taken to court.

Since interim orders were imposed on the seven men in April, breaches have already occurred resulting in prison sentences for Durham (four months), King (three months) and Redmond (two months).

Superintendent Claire Richards from Sefton police command team welcomed the court orders: “Gang injunctions are a powerful tool for us in cracking down on gang crime which can blight the lives of decent, law-abiding people.

“The injunctions, along with other powers we have such as public space protection orders, are aimed at breaking up the gangs by preventing members from associating with each other or other known criminals.

“They give us the power to restrict their tools of the trade such as their use of mobile phones, wearing scarves or balaclavas to conceal their faces or possessing even the smallest amount of drugs. They are even restricted as to where they can and cannot go.

“These restrictions are widely known by local officers and are policed rigorously. If officers see anyone breaching their gang injunction, they have extra powers of arrest and can take that gang member off the streets and put them back before the courts”.

“Breaches can result in that person being given a prison sentence by the courts so they are a really powerful deterrent. They also give that person a chance to get away from gang life for a while by not associating with other criminals and perhaps consider changing their ways.

“The successful use of injunctions here in Sefton and previously in other parts of Merseyside has seen a reduction in violent incidents that these gangs are often responsible for. In this case the full orders last for two years and the prohibitions imposed whilst the Interim Orders have been in place have been very effective.

“The vast majority of people living in an area where gangs have been a problem are not involved in crime and just want to live peacefully and without fear or intimidation and we hope these orders will help reduce the damage these criminals cause in their own communities.”

Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Jane Kennedy said: “Gangs bring misery and lasting harm to communities. They cause ordinary, decent families to live in an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, they lead to homes being damaged and violence taking place on our streets.

“I congratulate Merseyside Police and Sefton Council on their success in putting this case before the courts and securing these injunctions. It is clear a very detailed and extensive investigation was carried out in order to paint a vivid picture to the court of the activities these men were involved in.

“Now these injunctions have been imposed they can be used by Merseyside Police as an extra tool in the fight against gang activity, helping to make sure these communities remain safe and peaceful places to live.”

Cllr Patricia Hardy, Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, said: “This is very important and reassuring news for residents and further demonstrates our commitment to creating safer communities in our borough.

“As a council we are working hard with a number of partners, including Merseyside Police, to help protect our residents and ensure that Sefton is a thriving place to live, work and visit.

“These injunctions are part of a wider package of interventions, including the recently announced Public Spaces Protection Order, designed to tackle anti-social behaviour and organised crime.

“Hopefully this will serve as a warning to the small minority of the public that we are serious about tackling these issues and I also hope it will reassure the law-abiding majority of residents that Sefton continues to be a safe, peaceful borough.”

Merseyside Police encourage anyone with information about the activity of the males involved or indeed any other gang related activity in the area to contact the Neighbourhood team in confidence on 0151 777 3041 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.