Corby sex offender Liam Ferrie burgled two houses on way to police station

A man taking a shortcut to sign on the sex offenders’ register burgled two houses while horrified owners looked-on.

Liam James Ferrie – who served time for a shocking attempted rape in Corby a decade ago – was on his way to the police station in Kettering when he decided to break into two homes.

The 32-year-old, who wore a blue t-shirt and his hair tied back for the court appearance, admitted he had an ’endless’ criminal record and, despite pleas from his barrister, was jailed for a year.

Northampton Crown Court heard on Friday (August 5) that Ferrie had been in Canon Street, Kettering, at about 3pm on July 4 this year when he went into a back garden and entered one of the houses through a patio door.

The owner’s security camera triggered an alert on her phone but she was on holiday abroad and could only watch while Ferrie, of St John’s Place, Corby, rummaged through her kitchen.

She was able to phone her neighbour who rushed next door and confronted a drunken Ferrie in the garden, holding a bottle of wine that he had stolen. He left the property and the neighbour called police.

But just a few minutes later, the force control room took another call from a woman in adjacent Eden Street who had been in her living room with her young son when she heard her back gate open.

She went to the back of the house to find Ferrie holding a bottle of alcohol in her kitchen and asked him what he was doing there. He said ‘it’s my house’ but then left. He bumped into the two police officers who had been called and they arrested him.

In victim personal statements, the first woman said that her holiday had been ruined and that she was terrified. The second victim said her mental health had been impacted and that her children were nervous. She added that she felt her personal space had been violated.

Ferrie has a long criminal history and is on the sex offenders’ register after attempting to rape a woman in Willow Brook Road, Corby, in February 2011.

In mitigation, the court heard that Ferrie was ‘worse for wear’ and had thought he was taking a short-cut to the police station. He was sorry for his actions.

In their pre-sentence report, probation officers said that he was suitable for a non-custodial sentence and Ferrie’s barrister asked the judge to allow him to undertake an alcohol rehabilitation programme, saying his client was willing to wear a sobriety tag.

But Recorder Balraj Bhatia QC said: “His antecedent history doesn’t fill me with confidence. He’s been in breach of court orders. He’s had similar alcohol treatment for six months at S2S and he was not very good at attending.

"When asked if he would undertake unpaid work he said ‘If I have to’.

"Mr Ferrie you have a list of previous convictions that you described as ‘endless’.

"The impact on both your victims has been significant. This handsomely crosses the custody threshold.”

Recorder Bhatia said that had Ferrie been convicted after a trial his sentence would have been one of 18 months but after taking into account his guilty plea he gave him a 12 month prison sentence.

Ferrie’s criminal history

Recorder Bhatia QC heard that Ferrie himself had claimed to have an ’endless’ criminal record. Here are some of his previous offences:

December 2012 – Ferrie was sentenced to five years in jail after being found guilty of punching a girl unconscious in Willow Brook Road and then trying to rape her. Then aged just 22, he punched the 18-year-old victim several times before the attempted rape in February 2011. She was saved by a passer-by who took her home. After pleading guilty the following year, Ferrie was given a Sexual Offences Protection Order (SOPO) and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

April 2019 – He breached his SOPO after being found drunk in Corby

April 15, 2020 – Ferrie assaulted a police officer in Northampton.

April 25, 2020 – Officers found him drunk in South Road, Corby, in breach of his SOPO which prevented him from entering that area.

May 2020 – Ferrie was found drunk in Gold Street Kettering, again in breach of his SOPO.

June 2020 – Ferrie twice didn’t turn up for his court case and, after a warrant was issued, he was charged with failing to appear at court. He was sentenced in the crown court and part of his sentence included an alcohol treatment programme.

May 2022 – he was convicted of a public order offence in Welland Vale Road, Corby.