A vile predator who broke into a pregnant woman’s home and brutally raped her while her children slept upstairs has been locked up for 23 years.
Horrific Night of Terror in Liverpool
Liam Cowley, 32, armed himself with two kitchen knives and warned the victim: “You know what’s going to happen next” before launching his savage attacks. The court heard how he preyed on the vulnerable woman, threatening and intimidating her during the ordeal at her Liverpool home.
Prosecutor Martine Snowdon revealed at Liverpool Crown Court:
“The defendant on a number of occasions just did what he wanted when he wanted in circumstances where she was not consenting to it, and he was repeatedly threatening and intimidating her.”
Violence and Control – Attempted Escape Ends in Choking
Cowley was aggressive from the start, headbutting and spitting on the woman. After demanding she make him a steak and punching her when she refused, he smashed her phone to stop her calling 999. With emotions running high, the victim fled outside to scream for help — but no one answered. Cowley dragged her back inside, choking her until she blacked out on the floor, where he kicked her violently.
She begged him to stop, reminding him she was pregnant. Instead, he threatened her with a broken vacuum tube, preparing to strike before smashing the TV instead. He ripped at her clothes and forbade her from checking on her children or leaving his sight.
Twisted Threats Before Repeated Rape
Cowley placed one knife by the door and another on the sofa, coldly telling her: “You know what’s going to happen next.” When she suggested he would kill her, he chillingly replied: “No, much worse.”
He then raped her twice before falling asleep. The brave mum escaped with her children to a nearby shop and called the police.
Fugitive Life, More Abuse & Final Conviction
Cowley skipped his 2024 trial in Liverpool and fled to Norfolk, working under the alias Tommy Lee King. In a shocking twist, he dated a teenager and moved into her mum’s house, attacking the 19-year-old multiple times during their five-month relationship.
He was eventually caught, convicted of three rapes, four counts of strangulation, threats to kill, two assaults, and breaching bail. Despite claiming mental health disorders, no evidence supported his claims.
Cowley, currently of no fixed address, was handed an 18-year prison term with an extra five years on licence for dangerousness — a brutal 23-year sentence for his terrifying reign of violence.
