Three Wirral men issued with Gang Injunctions

Three men involved in criminal and gang-related activity in Wirral have been issued Gang Injunctions at Liverpool County Court.

The men had already been subject to Interim Gang Injunction Orders issued on Thursday, 11 April 2019 and now, full Gang Injunction Orders have successfully been obtained until 2021.

The orders have been obtained against:

• Patrick Duggan, 26, from Birkenhead
• Kieran Salkeld, 25, from Birkenhead
• Sonny Watkinson, 31, from Birkenhead

Wirral officers working alongside local agencies gathered extensive information to build up a picture of the impact the gang and their rivals were having on communities in the Birkenhead area.

This included police officer statements, police incident logs and CCTV footage, and all made for a solid case to be presented to Liverpool County Court.

The conditions of the orders mean the men are prohibited from:

• Entering a specified area of Birkenhead town centre
• Entering the Beechwood area except for under specified circumstances, and only to enter and leave through Fender Way
• Possessing more than one phone and sim card, which must be registered
• Possessing any illegal drugs or cultivation equipment
• Using or threatening violence against people or property, including the by use of electronic communications

Any breaches of the conditions can result in the individual being arrested and taken to court.

Wirral Community Policing Inspector, Georgie Minnery said: "These Injunctions are the first of their kind to be issued in the Wirral area and we are delighted to have obtained them against three individuals that have blighted the local community with criminal activity.

“Gang injunctions are a powerful and effective tool to assist in the crack down on gang crime, which we know can greatly affect our communities, the majority of whom are upstanding law-abiding citizens.

"The restrictions detailed in these specific injunctions are widely known by our local officers and will be policed rigorously. This means that should any of the men breach their conditions, we can act quickly to arrest them, take them off our streets and put them back before the courts. Breaches can result in prison sentences, making them a really strong deterrent from criminal behaviour.

"We have seen Gang Injunctions work incredibly well in other areas of Merseyside and we hope our Wirral communities feel reassured that these three individuals have now been given these orders. I would encourage members of the public to continue to come forward with information on those involved in criminal activity so that we can take action and ensure Merseyside remains a safe place to live, work and visit.”