A man has been jailed for one year and four months for theft and the assault of a vulnerable sex worker.
Ian Roberts, 51 years, of West Derby, pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday 23 June.
It was reported on Sunday 5 March last year that Roberts had assaulted a woman at an address in Liverpool when he grabbed her by the throat, punched her and stole various personal items.
The victim sustained facial injuries and Roberts was arrested the same day and later charged with assault. He pleaded guilty on the day of the trial.
Detective Constable Rachael Barcas said, “This was a nasty and frightening assault on the victim, and I’m glad that Roberts will now have time to reflect on his actions in prison.
“We carried out an extensive investigation which took some time to come to court, and throughout those months the victim remained supportive of the police investigation and was supported by The Red Umbrella Project.
“I would like to praise the courage and dignity shown by the victim throughout the investigation.
“Merseyside Police treat violence against sex workers as a hate crime, and this result shows that violence against women and girls will simply not be tolerated, whatever the circumstances.
“Incidents such as this are shocking and reprehensible, and it is never acceptable. We will work tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice.
Detective Constable Barcas added, “Merseyside Police work closely with partners including The Red Umbrella Project, to support people involved in sex work, selling sex and/or experiencing sexual exploitation to combat instances of violence and crimes against sex workers and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“We know that this is not an issue that the police can tackle alone which is why we work with our partners such as The Red Umbrella Project to develop and use all available tools and practices to encourage people to report this type of abuse and offer them assistance when they do.
“We work with numerous partner agencies to ensure safety that people involved in sex work is prioritised, and are safeguarded and support is in place from reporting the crime to bringing the case to court.”
Anyone with information on domestic abuse can contact @MerPolCC, 101 or Crimestoppers UK, anonymously on 0800 555 111
If someone is in immediate danger they should dial 999 and speak to an operator but police also accept that openly speaking is not always an option.
Image: Merseyside Police
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