'˜Vile' Portsmouth carjacker free to roam streets again after avoiding jail

HE WAS described as a '˜vile' menace to society by one of his victims while his own barrister described his reign of terror as '˜unpleasant'.

But racist carjacker Liam Willis, 23, remains free to roam the streets after he was given a reprieve from jail at Portsmouth Crown Court.

Instead, the defendant was given a 15-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, by judge Noel Casey.

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Willis was also given a three-month curfew to remain at his Shaftesbury Avenue address in Waterlooville between 6pm and 6am.

Willis, described by his barrister Howard Barrington-Clark as the '˜black sheep of the family' and someone '˜who acted like a two-year-old' during his offending, kicked off his crime spree when he stormed into One Stop in May this year and started threatening staff.

'˜The defendant was shouting vile and offensive language. He picked up a crate of Stella Artois lager and punched it with his fist causing it to crash to the floor,' prosecutor Richard Martin said.

'˜He continued his abuse and lunged towards the member of staff by the till trying to grab her '“ she was left shaking with fear. He intentionally caused the display to fall to the floor.'

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Later on that day Willis stepped up his menacing behaviour when he embarked on a carjacking on Elmhurst Road that left a single female terrified when she was stationary at a junction.

'˜Before the woman knew anything the defendant climbed into her car and told her to get out,' Mr Martin said. '˜He told her to go back to her own country.

'˜The lady was screaming for help before a man came over to help but got punched by the defendant who then drove off.'

After police arrested him, Willis said: '˜I'll drag some **** out the car and do it again.'

He also failed to provide a specimen to officers.

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The court heard how the carjacking victim was left petrified after her ordeal. In a victim impact statement she said of her attacker: '˜He was a vile individual. I felt this was not the first time he had done something like this. It seemed quite normal for him.'

Judge Casey ordered Willis to do 120 hours of unpaid work, pay compensation of £500 to the victims, cough up £350 court costs and a victim surcharge of £140. 

Willis, who pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, racially aggravated assault, three counts of assault by beating and criminal damage, was also told to complete 15 rehabilitation days.