Fake Uber driver jailed after kidnapping woman and filming terrifying ordeal in Liverpool
- Perry Richardson
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
A man who posed as an Uber driver before kidnapping a woman and forcing her to remove clothing while filming her has been jailed for five years and six months.
Damian Watson, 36, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on 26 June after pleading guilty to kidnapping and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. The offences followed an incident in April this year in Liverpool, where the victim mistakenly believed she was getting into her pre-booked Uber vehicle.
The woman had been enjoying an evening out in the Anfield area and had ordered an Uber through the app. Believing Watson’s white Mercedes van was the vehicle assigned to her journey, she got inside and the vehicle drove away.
During the journey, the victim realised the route did not match her expectations after Watson stopped in an unfamiliar alleyway. When she asked where they were, he reportedly replied: “We’re in Bootle now love,” before driving to another alleyway and stopping again.
Watson then turned towards the woman and aggressively demanded that she remove her top. Terrified and unable to leave because Watson refused repeated requests to let her out of the vehicle, she complied.
The victim managed to think quickly by pretending to hyperventilate, prompting Watson to panic and begin driving again. She made an abandoned 999 call before contacting her boyfriend. Watson eventually released her in Liverpool city centre.
Police used the location data from the abandoned emergency call to identify Watson and traced him to his home address. Officers recovered his mobile phone and another recording device, discovering footage showing Watson filming himself inside the van. Investigators also found a second camera mounted on the vehicle’s centre console, facing directly towards the passenger seat, which had recorded the victim throughout the incident.
Following his arrest, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges of kidnapping, voyeurism, false imprisonment and causing a person to engage in sexual activity against their will. Although Watson initially denied the offences, he changed his pleas to guilty for kidnapping and causing a person to engage in sexual activity against their will at a pre-trial hearing on 29 May 2026.
As part of the sentence handed down on 26 June, the court also ordered that Watson’s phones be seized and destroyed.
Amie Gouldson of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Damian Watson is a predatory offender who exploited a woman’s trust, posing as a taxi driver to carry out a planned and appalling sexual attack.
“Women and girls should be able to travel and go about their daily lives safely, without fear of violence or abuse.
“The victim in this case showed extraordinary courage and presence of mind, helping police and the Crown Prosecution Service bring a dangerous offender to justice and protect others from harm.”
