SHAME SHAME


FORMER COUNTY DURHAM CABBIE JAILED FOR 23 YEARS FOR RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILD


A predator took advantage of a young girl’s “vulnerability”, grow- ing in his bravado as he committed a series of increasingly serious sexual offences against her, a court was told. Former cabbie Allen March was said to have been aware that the girl had been the victim of online grooming and was at a low in her life. Durham Crown Court heard that the first inkling she received of his unwanted attention was when he sent her a message commenting on her body and breasts, which his victim now believes was the defendant seeing, “what he could get away with”. March moved on to touching offences before he raped the girl for the first time prior to her 13th


birthday. Joe Cully, prose- cuting, said the defendant’s abuse continued for sev- eral years, before his victim finally got the courage to speak up about his activities, having feared for a long time that she wouldn’t be believed. Crook, 58, was charged with 18 sexual offences, including five of rape. Despite his denials and claims his victim was lying, he was convicted of all 18 offences following a week-long trial in May. March was back before the court via video link from nearby Durham Prison for sentencing on 9 August. Mr Cully said that important


evidence emerged during the trial of March


having sent a


photograph of his private parts to another child and to a 17-year-old female passenger in his taxi. Judge James Adkin said some of the evidence heard about the sexual abuse of the victim, during the trial, was, “harrowing to listen to.” Sentencing him as, “an offender of particular concern”, he imposed the 23-year prison sentence with a one-year licence extension. March will have to serve at least two- thirds, before he will be eligible for release on licence. He was made subject of a restraining order, and registration as a sex offender, both for life, and has to abide by the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 30 years.


28 MONTHS’ JAIL FOR LIVERPOOL CABBIE AFTER POLICE FOUND £44K OF CANNABIS AND COCAINE


A cabbie lost his licence and his liberty after being caught dealing drugs on the job. On June 19 last year, Joseph Johnson, 43, was spotted by


police making a


“suspicious transaction” with a customer in Waterloo. They followed and saw another person enter his passenger seat and hand over £40 cash in exchange for a bag of white powder. The officers searched Johnson’s vehicle and found two mobile phones and a bag containing 11 wraps of cocaine with a value of up to £1,000. A subsequent search of his home found 48g of cocaine and 2.9kg of cannabis with a value of up to £44,000. £1,090 in cash was


PHTM SEPTEMBER 2023


seized, as well as drugs parapher- nalia and a mobile phone with drugs- related messages. Johnson pleaded guilty


to posses-


sion with intent to supply class A and B drugs, and appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on August 16, for sentence. Michael Scholes, defending, said Johnson, who has no previous convictions, had become involved in drug dealing to pay off his debts after falling into cocaine addiction following several family tragedies. He said the dad of one had been living “a double life”, hiding his


dealings from family and friends. Judge Andrew Menary, sentencing Johnson, said: “You have not sought to deny your responsibility, and I have seen many personal refer- ences which describe a very differ- ent person to the one apparent from these circumstances.” However, he added: “You need to understand that becoming in- volved in drug dealing is contrib- uting to others’ misery and that’s why these offences are serious. “I’m afraid that it must be an immediate term of imprisonment.” He sentenced Johnson to


28


months in prison for the class A offences, and eight months for class B, to run concurrently.


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