DANNY CHEN SENTENCED IN LIVERPOOL FOR KIDNAPPING AND SEXUAL ASSAULT ATTEMPT
A man named Danny Chen was convicted of kidnapping a teenage girl during the early hours of May 23, 2021, in Liverpool, and attempting to assault her sexually.Chen claimed he was merely trying to be 'chivalrous' by helping a intoxicated 19-year-old into his white Audi at around 3:30 am.
However, his actions raised suspicion when he drove her to a ‘dark and secluded’ industrial estate and attempted to get into the back of the vehicle with her.
The victim’s adrenaline and survival instincts prompted her to escape.
She managed to hide behind another vehicle and later contacted a friend before reporting the incident to police the following morning.
CCTV footage was played in court, showing the victim walking home on Farnworth Street in Kensington, clearly intoxicated, and then Chen driving past before pulling over beside her.
Prosecutor Steven Swift stated, “It was clear she was in no condition to consent to getting into Mr.
Chen's vehicle,” and described how Chen took hold of her—she said he forcibly grabbed her arm—and her into the back of his car.
Despite her attempts to give directions and request to be dropped off at a friend’s house, Chen drove past various roads and eventually stopped at an industrial estate.
Mr.
Swift explained that the victim grew increasingly concerned about Chen's behavior when he attempted to climb into the back of the car.
“She started to panic and managed to push him away, demanding ‘what are you doing?’” she fled the scene, only to realize her handbag was missing from the back seat, now in Chen’s possession.
She returned briefly and then escaped again.
Later, Chen used her bank card to purchase crisps and a drink at a Texaco garage near Barlow Lane around 5 am.
His attempt to buy food from McDonald's on Walton Lane around 5:30 pm was declined.
Police matched Chen to the incident, arresting him at his residence on Westminster Road, Walton, on June 4.
During his arrest, he claimed he had picked up a “drunken girl” who refused to give proper instructions, and he became “fed up” with her and asked her to leave.
Judge Robert Trevor-Jones remarked on the inconsistency, noting, “Of course that didn't in any way square with the fact he took some three minutes from where he picked her up to where they entered that industrial estate.” The victim’s handbag was recovered from a bin behind Chen's home.
He admitted to two counts of fraud related to the bank card but denied kidnapping; after the first jury could not reach a verdict, a second jury found him guilty at a retrial.
The victim reported suffering financial loss and emotional distress, including difficulty sleeping and reliance on antidepressants.
Prosecutor Swift added, “As a consequence of this offence she finds herself hyper-vigilant when out,” explaining she now avoids certain areas or situations, especially white cars similar to Chen’s.
Defense lawyer Callum Ross acknowledged that Chen’s state at the time—being heavily intoxicated—made him “effectively defenseless,” which was an aggravating factor.
Ross highlighted Chen’s previous good character and argued the incident was opportunistic rather than premeditated, noting there was no evidence of violence, restraint, or weapons.
The court heard that Chen previously worked as a fraud investigator for a high street bank.
Ross described him as “an intelligent and articulate man,” who, despite maintaining innocence, accepted the jury’s verdict and expressed regret that the victim had to testify twice.
Judge Trevor-Jones stated, “I am quite sure he was driving around either looking for someone to attack or to steal from,” and emphasized the victim’s obvious intoxication, which left her vulnerable and barely aware of her surroundings when Chen took her into his car.
The judge further said, “You took her directly to that dark and secluded industrial estate and if not before, certainly by that time, it is clear you intended some sexual assault.
I’m quite sure that is what you were going to carry out when you attempted to get into the back of the car.” The judge concluded that Chen's claim of chivalry was unfounded, asserting “when Chen tried to get into the back of the car, some survival instinct kicked in” which allowed the victim to escape.
He described the experience as “very terrifying, if short-lived,” and sentenced Chen to three and a half years in prison, citing the high risk he poses to vulnerable females.
