Celal Arslan was the owner of Lark Lane restaurant La Gomera. Now he’s starting a long prison sentence
00:01, 22 Mar 2026
Celal Arslan, 52, of Ditton Drive, in Halewood, jailed for 20 years plus five years on extended licence
Clutching a cigar and sipping from a coffee, the man lounged back in his chair, his eyes mirrored behind his sunglasses, the picturesque scenes of Lark Lane on a sunny day behind him. With his sun-kissed skin, tailored polo shirt and expensive kettle on his wrist, he presented like a film star or city boy banker.
But like many predators, his external, cultivated image was just a mask to hide the monster within. It emerged this week that Celal Arslan, 52, was a vile sex offender who perpetrated a number of sickening attacks..
Arslan, who was the owner and executive chef of La Gomera meathouse on Aigburth’s Lark Lane, raped one teenager and sexually assaulted three others.
Detective Constable Nikki Brown said the sexual predator “targeted young and vulnerable teenagers”, while presiding Judge Robert Trevor Jones said Arslan was confident they were unlikely to report what he did to them. Finding Arslan undoubtedly dangerous because of the number of victims and seriousness of crimes, the judge handed the rapist an extended prison sentence.
Dad Arslan lived on a Halewood new-build estate of well-presented semi-detached houses, surrounded on three sides by rolling fields and Netherley Brook. His Mediterranean-themed restaurant, specialising in aged British steaks and locally-sourced grilled seafood, was highly regarded on Lark Lane and was a success story on the ultra-competitive south Liverpool road.
It brought him local acclaim, featuring in Merseyside-based steak guides and enjoying queues down the thriving Lark Lane during the pandemic as customers waited for the opportunity to buy his cakes and desserts. Speaking to the ECHO in 2021, Arslan said “we’re proud to be part of it” when asked about how important it was for him to feature on the historic street.
Celal Arslan, 52, of Ditton Drive, in Halewood
But Liverpool Crown Court heard this week how his position as a respectable businessman was nothing more than a “veneer of respectability”. The reality was he destroyed four young lives because of his despicable behaviour, which both physically and emotionally damaged his victims. None of the brave girls can be named because of the nature of the offences.
One girl, who was raped by Arslan, said she had been living in turmoil since he abused her. “He was a predator on young girls and made me feel like a piece of meat,” she said. In a victim impact statement she said she had previously enjoyed a highly sociable and care-free lifestyle but withdrew after the abuse and fell out with family and friends.
Devastatingly, Peter Wilson, prosecuting, said the victim had self-neglected which had led to self-harming and eventually an attempt on her own life. She said: “This man has ruined my life. He should never be allowed to have a life of his own anymore…he brought me so much pain.”
Arslan told another teenager “she was too pretty to not have a boyfriend” and began to sexually assault her, later telling her to perform a sex act on him and trying to kiss her, causing her to bruise her lip, before again sexually assaulting her.
In her own victim impact statement to the court the girl said she had always been strong and bubbly but things had taken a dramatic turn due to Arslan’s abuse. She said: “Over the past couple of years he has probably never given his actions a second thought…he is the deviant, the perpetrator, the one who should be ashamed…he is the one who did this to me and other girls. We were just young girls, preyed on. Why did he do this? Why did he pick me?”
Arslan’s third victim said how he would make comments like “hi sexy” and ask her to sit on his knee. This progressed to him squeezing her bottom and telling her “I like your bum”. He later apologised for touching her, but his victim “felt scared and uncomfortable”.
Addressing Arslan via a statement read to the court, she said: “Your actions make me sick. This all changed when you saw me as a sexual object.” She added: “I hope one day you can be honest with yourself and your family and admit what you have done.”
Arslan’s final victim reported how he called her “a hot young one” and slapped her on the bottom. The court heard he also put his hands between her legs to touch her, telling her “stay still, I want to massage you for two minutes”.
Celal Arslan, 52, of Ditton Drive, in Halewood, jailed for 20 years plus five years on extended licence(Image: Merseyside Police)
The teenager, who knew Arslan’s family, told the court today: “Before this I was happy and positive towards people.” Mr Wilson said that Arslan’s final victim told her aunt of what happened and the police were contacted. This led to the other victims making their own reports.
Arslan, who has no previous convictions, was found guilty of rape, two counts of attempted rape and 15 counts of sexual assault by a trial jury.
Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool on Friday, Arslan again wore the smart black polo shirt he was pictured in outside his restaurant. But this time his grey hair and beard had grown out and he looked a shadow of the man he once presented as – all because of his own actions.
He sat with his arms folded at times, at others with his head down. Occasionally he interrupted proceedings to say he could not hear the court and when Judge Trevor Jones moved to sentence, he asked for the assistance of a Turkish translator.
Arslan’s lawyer Bernice Campbell had earlier told the court that Arslan’s family, who sat in the public gallery, had provided statements on his behalf. “There is clearly another side to this defendant, a family man who worked hard,” said Ms Campbell. The ECHO understands Arslan’s family, like the abuser himself, continue to maintain his innocence.
Arslan was sentenced to an extended sentence of 20 years plus an additional five years on licence. Some of his victims and their loved ones were in court as he was told he would serve at least two thirds of his sentence before he would be considered for release. He is also required to indefinitely sign the sexual offenders’ register.
Speaking after sentence, Det Con Brown said: “Thankfully, we were able to provide enough evidence to prove his offending and a jury saw through his lies. I sincerely hope that the sentencing of Arslan brings some comfort to the four girls involved and their families.”