A UK court has sentenced a Nigerian, Ediongseyene Essien, to eight years in prison for burglary and robbery offences targeting vulnerable people in Liverpool.

Mr Essien, 32, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, Merseyside Police announced in a statement after he was jailed. 

The 32-year-old Nigerian was “sentenced to three years for burglary and five years for robbery, to be served consecutively.” 

The police said the “Nigerian national Essien will serve 30 per cent of this sentence before being deported.”

According to the police, Mr Essien was a carer until March 9, when he was suspended by his employers following theft allegations. 

They noted that the following day, Tuesday, March 10, Mr Essien committed four separate burglaries in the L6 area against elderly and otherwise vulnerable persons for whom he had previously been a carer for. 

The police stated, “Firstly, Essien stole a bank card from a vulnerable, blind man and used the card in multiple transactions nearby. Later, he gained access to another address and entered the bedroom of an elderly resident, although nothing is believed to have been stolen. The same evening, Essien carried out two more offences, firstly gaining entry to the home of a severely disabled occupant at around 7.30pm, with nothing believed to have been taken.”

They added that around 9 pm, he smashed the rear patio door of an elderly couple, who watched Mr Essien “enter their living room and stole a wallet containing cash.”

Detective Inspector Kevin O’Rourke said “Essien committed a series of reprehensible burglary and robbery offences against people he had previously cared for, and other vulnerable victims. It is frankly beyond comprehension for someone with this job to go on and target those same people, and then push and grab other elderly and unwell victims in his desperation for money.”

He added, “Like all victims of burglary and robbery, they have suffered a great deal of distress from Essien’s crimes and I am grateful for their patience and help in bringing him to justice. Essien has today been given a significant prison sentence, which we hope brings a measure of comfort to those he harmed.”