Man jailed for attempted kidnapping – Liverpool

A 25-year-old man has been jailed for more than two years after he attempted to kidnap a 19-year-old student outside Liverpool Lime Street station, following a British Transport Police investigation.

Osman Moalem, of Brookdale, Widnes, was jailed for 27 months today (Friday 13 June) at Liverpool Crown Court after he was found guilty of Attempted Kidnap on Thursday 24 April.

The court heard how on Monday 28 October last year, the girl was waiting for friends outside Liverpool Lime Street station when she was approached by Moalem.

Moalem reached out to her and said something she didn’t understand so she stepped back and he turned away.

He then turned around and grabbed her arm and tried to drag her away with him.

As she shouted at him to let her go and tried to free herself from his grasp she stumbled backwards onto steps.

Despite this, and the attention of passersby, Moalem continued to pull her towards him.

The victim shouted and screamed for help until an elderly couple came to her aid and threatened to call police.

However Moalem was undeterred by the intervention and continued to smirk as he attempted to drag the victim away, even following her into the station once she broke free.

Station security alerted British Transport Police officers who arrested Maolem minutes later as he waited for a train.

Investigating officer DC Olivia Hill said: “Despite crystal clear CCTV footage of the attempted kidnapping, Moalem had the audacity to deny it and has shown no remorse for his actions throughout the investigation

"I know how terrifying this was for the victim and she’s bravely supported the investigation throughout, I hope that now that Moalem is behind bars she can continue to make progress with her recovery.

“Thankfully we police a CCTV rich environment and the quality of the footage, along with the victim’s testimony, was invaluable in securing Moalem’s conviction.

“Anyone who witnesses or experiences any crime on the railway, is urged to text us on 61016 or call 999 in an emergency.”