These are the people jailed this week for crimes linked to Merseyside.
They include a pensioner who railed against a jury’s verdict as he was handed more than a decade in prison for a vile campaign of rape and a drug dealer who flooded parts of the south of England with drugs from Liverpool.
A burglar who broke into the homes of families while they slept was also handed a lengthy prison sentence this week, as was a man who left a granddad with a bleed on the brain after a brutal attack in St Helens.
READ MORE: Paedophile rants in court after raping girl while mum was in hospital
Here are seven people jailed this week for crimes linked to our region.
Bradley Graham
A dad-of-two who trafficked crack cocaine and heroin between Liverpool and Cornwall was forced to work for gangs as a child to pay off his mum's drug debts, a court heard.
Bradley Graham, of Pym Street in Walton, set up the so-called 'JC Line', a county lines operation aimed at flooding the Cornish coastal town of Newquay with Class A drugs. Graham sent 56 so-called flare texts, mass messages on a 'graft phone', to around 71 drug users in the town, between April 17 and June 19, 2020.
Graham would also enlist some of the local addicts to deliver drugs for him. He made regular visits to Cornwall, but ran most of the operation from his home in Liverpool, our sister site Cornwall Live reports.
Judge Anna Richardson jailed Graham for four years and three months after he admitted to two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.
Stephen Grzyb
A man broke into a family home to steal their car as they slept upstairs.
Stephen Grzyb, from Huyton, broke into two homes on Brinton Close and Chillington Avenue, Widnes, in the early hours of Thursday, October 14, whilst the families and their children were asleep.
The 18-year-old broke into the first home through the garage but was unable to get in to the house itself. He left empty handed before running across the road to another house on Chillington Avenue.
The victims were upstairs when they were woken by the sound of breaking glass as Grzyb smashed his way through two sets of doors. He then stole the keys to a VW Golf R that was parked on the driveway and drove off as the victims watched from their bedroom window.
The vehicle was recovered later that day in Huyton. An investigation was undertaken by detectives at Widnes Proactive Policing Team and Grzyb was quickly identified as the suspect.
He was jailed for three years and six months.
Josh Hoskison
A pensioner was placed in intensive care and suffered life-changing injuries after being attacked outside a pub.
Denis Cunliffe was left with a bleed on the brain after being punched outside the Sefton in St Helens town centre before falling and hitting his head on the floor. Josh Hoskison, 25, dished out the unprovoked attack after rowing with his girlfriend and brawling with another stranger who had attempted to intervene.
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Wednesday, that the incident unfolded in the early hours of September 1 last year. At around 1.15am, a passerby encountered the couple engaged in a heated argument near to the Baldwin Street establishment.
He was described as acting as a peacemaker during the altercation. But Hoskison, who was on crutches at the time of the incident, told him to "f*** off", threw these walking aids to the ground and ran at the man.
The enraged mechanical engineer shouted "I'll gouge your f***ing eyes out" before the pair wrestled on the floor.
They eventually separated, but Hoskison then punched Mr Cunliffe - who fell backwards and "cracked his head". His assailant attempted to help him to his feet before realising that he had been knocked unconscious and "became completely different".
Mr Cunliffe was rushed to Whiston Hospital, where it was also discovered that he had suffered a fracture to the head. Mr Cunliffe, who had only recently recovered from a stroke, was later transferred to St Helens Hospital and spent two months recovering before being discharged home.
Hoskison, who has no previous convictions, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent and nodded as he was jailed for 20 months.
Adam Caine
An injured pubgoer was marched from cash machine to cash machine by robbers after a night out, leaving a trail of blood behind him.
The victim was led off from a taxi rank in Birkenhead town centre by his attackers on the promise that they would take him to a bar where he could still get served in the early hours. Instead, he was knocked to the ground and repeatedly punched as he was robbed by Adam Caine and Neil Griffiths.
The man had gone out to various pubs in the area at around 5.30pm on February 20 2020. By 3.30am the following day, he had gone to the rank on Argyle Street and was asking strangers if there were any nearby establishments still open to continue drinking in.
Caine and Griffiths approached him and claimed to know such a place, and he walked off with the pair. But he was instead attacked and knocked to the floor.
The victim ran back to the taxi rank, but was again accosted and taken to a cash machine - being "frequently punched" by Griffiths and elbowed to the face as this happened. He was then escorted to several ATMs, "leaving a trail of blood" in his wake.
Caine was jailed on June 30 while Griffiths was jailed earlier in the month. Both received two and a half year sentences.
James Santamera
A "prolific" burglar targeted a vicar's house and a school on parents' evening during a crime spree.
James Santamera broke into a staggering 18 homes, businesses and other properties during his latest spate of offending in the autumn of last year. He had only recently been released from prison on licence at the time.
The 46-year-old was jailed for four years in February 2019 over eight other burglaries. After being freed from this term, he handed himself in at St Anne Street Police Station in November last year stating he had "come under threat".
While there, Santamera confessed to a further seven break-ins. These included stealing a wallet containing money and a bank card from the presbytery of a church in Clubmoor.
The ex-Merchant Navy man was subsequently locked up for 44 months in February. Days before this sentencing, Santamera admitted to another 11 offences committed during the same period - resulting in him being hauled back to court yesterday.
One burglary was committed at shared accommodation above Yo's Restaurant, a Chinese on Wavertree Road in Edge Hill. This saw the defendant sneak into an occupant's bedroom and steal a wallet containing £20 in cash and a bank card, which was then used to purchase cigarettes.
Others saw Santamera enter staff rooms and "take what he could find", including purses and money, with another targeting the manager's office of a business. He swooped upon Merchants Taylors' School on parents' evening, seizing on the opportunity to go unnoticed inside to lift three laptops.
He was handed the mandatory three-year minimum term for a third strike burglar minus credit for his guilty plea, resulting in a sentence of 876 days behind bars. However, this time will be served alongside his currently term - meaning his scheduled release date in December next year will remain unaffected.
Ryan Lake
A dangerous driver was jailed on his 30th birthday after an 80mph chase with police.
Ryan Lake "regarded the road as his own" and reached these high speeds in a 30mph zone, despite not even having a licence. The pursuit only ended when he crashed his car.
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday that the dad drew the attention of police after overtaking an unmarked patrol car at speed on the M62 westbound at around 4pm on January 18 this year. Ryan Lake, from Warrington, also undertook several other vehicles while a 17-year-old family member and her friend rode as passengers.
Checks also revealed that the Volkswagen Passat had been reported as stolen in August the previous year and was being driven with fake registration plates, although he claimed to have recently purchased it in Manchester and was not charged in relation to the theft. He then left the motorway at St Helens as the police chase began.
Lake drove on the wrong side of the road, through red lights and no-entry signs and took a blind junction at 40mph. His car came to a halt after he collided with a curb.
The motorist was then found to only have a provisional licence, while roadside tests detected cannabis in his system. But he refused to provide a blood sample once in custody, claiming to be scared of needles.
Lake - who has 18 convictions for 27 offences, this being his first since 2018 - admitted dangerous driving, driving without insurance, driving without a licence and failing to provide a specimen.
Lake, of Banks Crescent in Latchford, was jailed for 10 months and banned from driving for two years and five months.
Edward Roberts
A paedophile delivered a furious tirade as he was jailed for 13 years for raping a child.
Edwards Roberts abused the 11-year-old girl as she slept while her mum was in hospital and cut off her ponytail as a "punishment". The 81-year-old also sexually assaulted a second victim as the teenager used a sunbed.
For decades, the pensioner had masqueraded as an upstanding citizen who had spent his working life "serving the city of Liverpool". On Friday he was finally brought to justice for his sickening historic crimes.
But, before he was led down to the cells, Roberts ranted in the dock about how his victims had lied in court and pledged to campaign to clear his name. He told Liverpool Crown Court: "Before I go, I'm going to say I committed none of these offences. There have been absolute lies and distortion in the court.
"I did not ever commit these horrendous offences, absolutely not. They are absolute lies.
"I'm an innocent man and I will campaign for my innocence. They have lied through their teeth.
"I did not do these things."
Roberts was convicted of rape, three counts of sexual assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm following a trial. The retiree, of Colin Street in Wigan, has one previous conviction for assault.
Sentencing, Judge Anil Murray described Roberts as having "exhibited violence and bullying behaviour". He added: "Clearly, the offending in this case is so very serious that only immediate and substantial period of imprisonment can follow.
"It's not overstating matters to say that what you did to her ruined her life. "I accept that this will be your first time in custody and it will be very difficult for you.
"I do take into account your advanced age and failing health, but I can't overlook the damage you have done. It's clear you were presenting a different face to the public."
Greater Manchester Police was unable to provide a custody picture of Roberts, who was also told to sign the sex offenders' register for life.
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