Mirza Begg 33

Description

A man has been found guilty of raping an 18-year-old girl in his Birmingham flat hours after meeting her on the 'Roomies' website.

A jury also convicted Mirza Begg of strangling and threatening the victim with a knife at his address in Coventry Road, Small Heath.

The 33-year-old denied full sexual intercourse, claiming he was diabetic and could not maintain an erection without medication, and said other sexual contact was consensual.

But following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court, the jury found him guilty of rape, two charges of assault by penetration, strangulation, making threats with an offensive weapon, and assault by beating.

Begg was remanded into custody ahead of sentencing on December 5.

Judge Simon Drew KC ordered a pre-sentence report to assess if he was a 'dangerous' offender.

He said:

"On the face of it he targeted and exploited a vulnerable young woman

"It raises issues as to whether he poses a risk to other members of the public going forward."

Begg responded to the teenager's Roomies post on March 17 last year, offering free accommodation, which made her suspect a 'scam'; he sent a video of the property.

He picked her up at 9pm and took her to his flat, then left briefly to return a car.

Upon returning, he asked her to join him in the bedroom, rolled a spliff, and told her to get in bed.

Begg started touching her; when she said she felt uncomfortable, he told her to 'shhh' and laughed.

He proceeded to rape and sexually assault her as she repeatedly said 'no' and tried to fight him off.

Begg also slapped her and threatened her with a knife.

Afterward, the victim texted a friend: 'he fell asleep, I just got raped'; the friend reported it to police.

Begg was arrested at 4:30am that morning.