Islamuddin Talash 43

Description

In October 2023 a 20-year-old man was subjected to a serious sexual assault in a city park. Today (Wednesday 15 July) the perpetrator was jailed.

During the afternoon of 9 October, the victim was sitting on a bench in Abbey Park when he was approached by 43-year-old Islamuddin Talash.

The pair briefly spoke about bicycles, with Talash telling the victim he had one that he was willing to give him.

Talash then suggested they went to his flat so the victim could look at it. However, while they were walking through the park, Talash took the victim into a bush and raped him.

Shortly before the incident two teenage boys became suspicious of Talash and his behaviour. They were able to capture footage and an image of him on their phones.

The witnesses decided to keep an eye on them and approached the bushes. Talash ran away and they were able to safeguard the victim.

An officer working with the investigation team decided to walk through the park and on doing so saw a man fitting the description and image of the suspect sitting on a bench.

He was arrested in the park and following further enquiries and medical evidence he was charged with rape.

During a trial at Leicester Crown Court last month, Talash of Westfield Road in Smethwick, was found guilty of rape.

He was sentenced to six years' imprisonment and placed on the sex offender register indefinitely.

Detective Sergeant Sarah Jones was the officer in the case. She said:

“The actions of the witnesses on that day were crucial in this investigation, they did absolutely the right thing by acting on their suspicions.

“They, along with the victim, deserve enormous credit for giving an account in court that led to today’s outcome.

“The two boys were able to provide an image and footage which assisted officers in getting a positive identification. An officer who was working within our team took it on herself to do a walk-through the park and immediately spotted a man and recalled his similarities to the man in the image provided by the witnesses.

“He was arrested straight away and charged within hours. This outcome is a testament to the great work that went into the investigation and the strength of evidence secured this result.

“The victim was vulnerable, and the defendant used this for his own sexual gratification. We hope that this case reassures the local community and helps the victim put the events of that afternoon behind him.”