Shaun Hobson was sentenced to nine years in prison after he was found guilty of a number of offences
Shaun Hobson, jailed for nine years for attacks on women in Liverpool city centre, throws away DNA-covered jumper to change appearance
This is the moment a “dangerous predator” who assaulted women in Liverpool city centre made a mistake that would prove to be his downfall. Shaun Hobson, 25 and from Ashford in Kent, travelled to Liverpool for a night out but over the space of just 10 minutes assaulted three women.
The incidents happened in the early hours of October 6 2024 and began at around 2am when Hobson approached a woman near Tabley Street and grabbed her by the throat. A member of the public saw what happened and intervened but Hobson managed to flee.
Around 10 minutes later, Hobson followed two women into a car park and grabbed them both. During the shocking incident, he grabbed one of the women by her waist, mouth and face, but thankfully they managed to get away from him.
Hobson left the scene again and in a bid to quickly change his appearance he threw his grey jumper into a skip as he ran away. Little did he know his actions were all on CCTV and officers, after recovering the jumper, were able to make a positive DNA match.
An investigation was subsequently launched and officers tracked Hobson down to the Kent area where he was arrested on October 15. He was charged two days later and appeared in magistrates’ court.
Appearing at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, May 2 this year, he was sentenced to nine years in prison after he was found guilty of intentional strangulation, attempted kidnap and two counts of common assault with the intent of committing a sexual offence. He was also placed on the sex offender register for life.
One of his victims, whose identity is protected, told the court in a statement: “I couldn’t walk anywhere alone for a long time, and when I eventually could, I had to constantly be on the phone to someone. Some days I would suddenly be filled with dread and freeze, with no obvious trigger.
“I had always felt so independent and now I was afraid to do anything alone. I was angry – he had no right to take this away from me. I am sharing this not only to tell my story, but to acknowledge the long-lasting effects I have to live with. I am still healing, and it will take time.
“I am learning to trust again, but it’s hard, and some days it feels like I’m never going to get back to the person I used to be. But I will not let this experience define me, and I will continue working on finding the strength to move forward.”
Shaun Hobson, jailed for nine years for attacks on women in Liverpool city centre, throws away DNA-covered jumper to change appearance
One of the other victims in this case said in her statement: “In the weeks after the attack, I found it was impacting my personal and work life. I remember the first time I found myself going to leave my home, I could see people walking past outside, it made me turn back around and stay in.
“I have felt unsafe everywhere I have been, in places I should, and previously have felt safe in. I feel he has taken this from me. The whole attack has left me mentally scarred.”
Detective Sergeant David Hughes said: “This was a shocking series of events which have clearly had a lasting impact on the three women and I sincerely hope that Hobson’s sentencing can bring them some comfort. A dangerous predator is now behind bars and by removing him from our streets we have made our communities a safer place.
“People should be able to visit our city centre without any fear of being a victim of – or even witnessing – such appalling incidents such as these. I want to reassure our communities that Liverpool remains one of the safest cities in the UK to enjoy a night-out and as a result is awarded Purple Flag status every year, and we want visitors and residents in the city centre to feel safe at all times.”