By James Simons-
A sex attacker was handed a life sentence today after raping a pregnant woman at knifepoint in her own bed.
Aryan Rashidi climbed through the victim’s window and raped her in her own home. He has given a life a sentence today at Leeds Crown Court court heard he tried to commit a sex attack on another victim as she slept in bed with her husband whilst their baby was in a cot in the same room. The court also heard that both victims were left deeply traumatized and had to move as they no longer felt safe in their homes.
Rashidi, an Afghan national who entered the UK illegally, had been assessed as “highly predatory” and prepared to take risks to fulfill his sexual needs.David Hall, prosecuting, told the court the victim’s partner was asleep in another room at the time of the attack. She woke up at 2.30am to find Rashidi on top of her, holding a knife to her throat.
Rashidi’s sexual attacks did not stop there. He targeted a woman as she was asleep at her family home in Bradford on June 14, 2016. Using a ladder to climb to the bathroom window before entering the property, Rashdi succeeded in entering the property and was not put off by the presence of the woman’s partner lying in bed next to her. Her partner in bed with her was, in fact, her husband. The horrified woman woke up to find Rashidi pulling at her pajama bottoms.Mr Hall said the woman pretended to be asleep as she feared Rashidi may be armed.Her baby was asleep in a cot beside her and another child was sleeping in a different room.
She managed to wake her husband up, by which time Rashidi had run off, leaving a shoe at the scene. Rashidi’s fingerprint was found at the property but police were unable to link him to the incident until after he was arrested for the rape because he had no criminal record in the UK.Rashidi, who had entered the country illegally in a lorry, claimed not know his date of birth when arrested and tried to claim he was 15 or 16 years of age. A dental examination later showed Rashidi is aged likely to be aged 22.
The pervert pleaded guilty to rape and trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence.Robert Stevenson, mitigating, said Rashidi now accepted that he was aged over 18.Mr Stevenson said Rashidi had experienced a traumatic life in Afghanistan before coming to the UK.
He said: “He has known nothing but a war-torn and lawless country.“It seems throughout these proceedings there has been a reluctance on his part to talk about his past and to talk about the things that he has seen.“Rather than just being evil, he is the product of a somewhat traumatic past.”
Judge Neil Clark said he was imposing a life sentence as he believed Rashidi posed a serious danger to the public.He said: “Your offending is the most serious and frightening type.“It’s very nature points to the level of danger you present to the public. “It is hard to begin to imagine a more terrifying or humiliating offending than this.”Rashidi was told he must serve a minimum of five years, eight months, in custody before he is eligible to apply for parole.Judge Clark told Rashidi he would only be released if he was no longer considered a danger to the public.He warned him that it was possible he would remain in prison for the rest of his life