A murderer who battered his wife to death with a lamp, a manager at a city centre restaurant and a man who claimed to be a "martyr for paedophiles" were among the Merseyside criminals jailed this week.
Also locked up was a carer who failed to show up for her shifts and left a pensioner dying in "disgraceful" conditions. Meanwhile, Liverpool Crown Court heard that a sex offender heard "voices in his head" telling him to sexually abuse a girl.
Here are the faces of 10 criminals who were imprisoned in our region in the past week:
READ MORE: Greedy carer lied about visiting home where woman was left to die alone
Michael Lucas
The thug attacked a member of rail staff after trying to travel without paying for a train ticket.
Michael Lucas, of Bath Street in Southport, attempted to avoid buying a ticket twice then tried to force his way through the barriers at Wigan Wallgate Station without paying for his fare. After being challenged by workers, the 32-year-old left but returned later in the evening - this time successfully making his way through.
He then grabbed an employee by the throat and punched the 52-year-old in the face, causing him to fall to the ground. The victim suffered fractures to his eye socket, cheekbone and jaw as a result.
Lucas dropped his mobile phone and driving licence as he fled, leading to him being identified. He admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent and was jailed for 28 months.
William Roberts
The sex offender cried and told his victim he "couldn't help it" after attacking her.
William Roberts repeatedly sexually assaulted the youngster over a period of around six months and told her on one occasion "I can't help it". The 42-year-old's crimes were discovered after he was taken to hospital due to concerns about his mental health and alcohol consumption.
There, he admitted his crimes to his sister and told her "I don't know what's real" - believing that his victim was plotting to kill him. Roberts also confessed that he had "heard voices in his head telling him to touch" the girl.
When police contacted the complainant, she confirmed that he had regularly touched her on the bottom and chest over her clothing. Roberts admitted two counts of sexual assault and was jailed for three years.
Simon Tomkins
The paedophile collected more than 10,000 indecent images over a period of more than a decade.
Simon Tomkins spent a period of around 12 years downloading a vile stash of pictures and videos of children aged as young as eight. One showed a youngster being forced to perform a sex act on a man while another featured a boy and a girl of the same age engaged in sexual activity.
But more than 100,000 other files were "uncategorised", and it is not known if they were illegal, as they were not looked at. The 39-year-old blamed his perverted behaviour on the breakdown of a long-term relationship.
Tomkins admitted possession of indecent images, three counts of making indecent images, possession of prohibited images and possession of cannabis. He was jailed for two years.
Wayne Daniels
Brave shop workers fought off the knife-wielding customer with wooden poles after a row over change escalated.
A masked Wayne Daniels returned to armed with the weapon having been turfed out following an earlier argument. The "extremely drunk" 42-year-old re-entered in a change of clothing and with his face covered and carrying a knife, "holding it in a manner as if to stab".
The shopkeeper and an employee picked up wooden poles and used them to try to push him out of the store as he continued "gesticulating" with the blade while making threats. While Daniels "made good his escape", his face covering was found abandoned at the scene with his DNA on it - leading to his arrest.
He admitted making threats with a bladed article, threatening to destroy property and breaching a suspended sentence and was jailed for two years. Sentencing, Recorder Graham Wells told him he had brandished the weapon "not for a few moments but in a concerted and threatening way".
Miya James
The carer lied about visiting the home of a "vulnerable" woman in her final days, leaving her to die from covid in conditions described as "an utter disgrace".
Miya James, 25, was due to attend the home of a 71-year-old woman on January 24 and 25 last year. The woman was suffering from Covid-19, had recently been discharged from Whiston Hospital and suffered from mobility problems which meant she could not come downstairs.
But James failed to attend three of the four visits she was scheduled to undertake across those two days, falsely logging her attendance on the company's system in an attempt to get paid. The pensioner died on January 25 2021.
The defendant, of Fell Grove in St Helens, pleaded guilty to wilful neglect. She was jailed for eight months.
Victory Ozoemena
The university student led officers on a 90mph car chase then said he was "scared because of the man that got shot and killed by police".
Victory Ozoemena was already banned from driving after a previous 140mph pursuit, which ended when he smashed into a lamppost. The care worker then got behind the wheel again, but was caught after crashing into a hedge.
The 24-year-old admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and breaching a suspended sentence order. He was jailed for a year.
Rachid Karkach
The assistant manager of a Liverpool city centre restaurant was caught with a £60,000 cannabis farm.
Police found the large crop of drugs growing in the loft of Rachid Karkach's home in Speke during a raid earlier this year. The 31-year-old developed a habit after taking up smoking weed at the age of 12.
A total of 52 cannabis plants been growing in his loft. The "professional" setup was capable of producing an estimated potential yield of drugs worth between £14,560 and £65,520.
Karkach admitted production of cannabis and abstracting electricity without authority. He was jailed for 18 months.
Aurel Pjetri
Police stumbled upon a £100,000 cannabis farm after being called to a water leak.
Aurel Pjetri was caught red-handed tending to the "professional setup" when it was inadvertently discovered by officers. The 25-year-old travelled to the UK from his native Albanian in a dinghy hoping to find employment in the construction industry.
Instead, he was put to work as the "gardener" of a grow at a house on Hothfield Road in Wallasey, Wirral. Two upstairs bedrooms of the address were converted into drugs factories - with a third in the process of being set up in the kitchen.
The 90 cannabis plants seized had a potential yield of between 2.5kg and 7.5kg, a stash which could have generated sums of between £50,000 and "well over" £100,000. Pjetri admitted production of cannabis and was jailed for a year.
Mikael Janesson
The paedophile was rumbled after he and his girlfriend met a man in a bar and invited him back to their flat for a threesome.
Mikael Janesson made a series of troubling comrments to the male following their drug-fuelled romp. The 41-year-old stated he "believed you should be able to have sex with anyone who you wanted, regardless of age" then pulled out his phone and showed him a series of indecent images showing girls having sex with adult males.
The concerned participant called the police as a result, with officers then discovering his vile stash. The pervert then penned a disturbing seven-page letter to the court in which he described himself as a "martyr for paedophilia" and compared himself to Alan Turing.
Janesson admitted possession of indecent images, three counts of making indecent images, possession of extreme pornographic images, possession of prohibited images of children and supplying mephedrone. He was jailed for 20 months.
Mark Wheeler
The murderer battered his wife to death with a lamp after racking up huge debts.
Mark Wheeler kept his money troubles secret from his partner Karen, then brutally killed her and attempted to take his own life at their flat in Birkenhead when threatened with bailiffs. The "much-loved mother" was also repeatedly stabbed during a prolonged assault, which began as she slept on a sofa and saw her subjected to dozens of blows at his hands.
The 62-year-old victim returned home from a night shift - having been employed as a carer for assisted living residents by a housing association - on the morning of May 11 and dozed off on a settee in the living room before her spouse began his attack. Her son discovered her lifeless body the following day.
Wheeler, 52, admitted murder. He was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years and 10 months.
READ NEXT: Sex offender admitted his crimes to his sister while in hospital
Brave shop workers fight off knifeman after row over change
Magic mushroom grower who 'sold to friends' spared prison
Moment fare dodger punches rail staff to avoid paying for ticket
Paedophile spent 12 years collecting more than 10,000 indecent images
