Celal Arslan was found guilty of 18 sexual offences and was handed an extended sentence because of his dangerousness
16:06, 20 Mar 2026Updated 16:10, 20 Mar 2026
Celal Arslan, 52, of Ditton Drive, in Halewood, jailed for 20 years plus five years on extended licence(Image: Merseyside Police)
A Lark Lane business owner was jailed for rape and a series of serious sexual assaults. Celal Arslan, 52 and of Ditton Drive in Halewood, was the owner and executive chef of La Gomera on the Aigburth street.
But this was nothing more than a “veneer of respectability” when really he was a devious predator whose offending included the rape of a teenage girl and a series of horrifying sexual assaults against three other college-aged girls, whose identities are all protected because of the nature of the crimes.
A senior judge at Liverpool Crown Court said: “The indictment of 18 counts represents a catalogue of sexual abuse. The abuse of a number of young women, teenagers.” A detective who investigated Arslan’s crimes called him “a sexual predator who will now spend a significant amount of time in prison for his appalling actions”.
Peter Wilson, prosecuting, told the court on Friday that one victim, who he raped, was around 16 or 17 when Arslan’s abuse took place.
She described how the predator “made me feel like a piece of meat”. She said she had enjoyed a sociable and care-free life before she was raped but has since spent “years [since the offence] in turmoil”. The court heard the young woman had self-harmed and tried to take her own life as a result of Arslan’s actions.
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?”
Mr Wilson told the court 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 by Mr Wilson, 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”.
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. The court heard today he still maintains his innocence.
In mitigation, Bernice Campbell, defending, told the court that Arslan’s family had provided statements on his behalf. She said: “There is clearly another side to this defendant, a family man who worked hard. The defence understands he has been found guilty.” Ms Campbell urged the judge to give her client a determinate sentence so he had “a specific date to aim for to prove to himself to be a better person”.
Judge Robert Trevor Jones, presiding, told the defendant: “You were acting purely as a sexual predator.”
He added: “I must consider if you present as a dangerous offender. Given the number of victims, number of offences and their nature, I have no doubt about that.” However, the judge stopped short of imposing a life sentence, instead determining an extended sentence would address the rapist’s circumstances.
Arslan, who wore a black polo shirt and sported grey hair and a beard, was sentenced to an extended sentence of 20 years plus an additional five years on licence. The offender, who appeared via video link to HMP Liverpool, was told he would serve at least two thirds of the sentence before he would be considered for release. He is also required to indefinitely sign the sexual offenders’ register.
Merseyside Police Detective Constable Nikki Brown, who was the officer in charge of the investigation, said: “He targeted young and vulnerable teenagers who have shown incredible strength to not only report his crimes but also undergo the added trauma of a trial after Arslan denied his actions.
“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.”