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Description

A sex offender who went on the run after refusing to disclose his address to police was living "off grid" in west Wales, a court heard.

Christopher Spelman, with links to Merseyside, was released from a Dorset prison on July 4, 2025, but refused to inform authorities of his intended residence before disappearing.

Police issued multiple public appeals, including a feature on Crimewatch, but his location remained unknown until he turned himself in at Haverfordwest police station in Pembrokeshire on January 3, 2026.

Swansea Crown Court heard that Spelman disputes his original child sex offence conviction but now seeks a more conventional life with suitable housing.

Prosecutor Brian Simpson told the court that Spelman was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2014 for 12 counts of sexually assaulting a girl under 14, requiring lifetime registration as a sex offender. Requirements include notifying police of his address within three days of residence, per Wales Online.

Upon release, Spelman told staff he had no intention of registering and planned to buy a tent to "live off grid." When he failed to contact Lancashire police, a manhunt ensued, with appeals noting his likely travel via public transport to campsites and links to Merseyside, Manchester, Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Hampshire, and Wiltshire.

Spelman, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with notification requirements. He has 11 prior convictions for 29 offences, including the 12 sexual assault counts and a previous failure to comply. After his 2016 halfway release from the 2014 sentence, he was at large for five years.

Defence barrister Andrew Evans called the case "an unusual one in many, many ways," noting Spelman does not accept his 2014 guilt or the resulting requirements, and has long expressed a desire to "live outside society." However, he has "slowly recognised" the court order's authority, now wants a normal life with appropriate accommodation, and requested a custodial sentence to facilitate release arrangements.

Judge Geraint Walters noted signs in the pre-sentence report of desired changes and warned that future breaches would lead to longer sentences. With a one-third discount for his guilty plea, Spelman was jailed for 10 months, to serve up to half in custody before release on licence.

Description

Sexual abuse survivors praised for bravery as abuser jailed for 24 years

Martin Jackson, 46, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison after being convicted of abusing school-aged girls in Sunderland, including threatening one with a knife after raping her.

The victims told a family member what had happened, and Northumbria Police were contacted. Jackson was questioned shortly afterwards and repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Following what police called “a complex investigation” by Northumbria Police’s Safeguarding Department, he was charged in September 2024 with multiple child sexual offences.

In December last year, Jackson, of Seymour Street, North Shields, was found guilty at Newcastle Crown Court of 17 counts: five of sexual assault on a child, four of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and eight of rape.

He appeared back before the same court on Monday (February 2) and was jailed for 24 years, with a further year on licence. He will remain on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

Victim impact statements described the lasting damage to their mental health, including anxiety, panic attacks and PTSD that continues to this day.

One victim said the abuse “haunts” her daily:

“When I leave the house or go to work, it comes back like a train plummeting at me.

“When I’m at home, I am alone with the flashbacks of the abuse. It is constantly repeating in my head, as if it were still happening. You would think my escape would be sleep, however, every single night I jolt awake from those nightmares that was my life for several years.”

Detective Constable Gavin James, who led the investigation, said:

“Martin Jackson is a sexual predator and a paedophile who preyed upon his young victims for his own sexual gratification.

“It is clear to me that he wanted to have control over the girls, even making threats if they were ever to speak out against him.

“While no outcome at court will ever take away from what has happened, I do hope this significant jail term will bring a sense of comfort to both survivors that their abuser is now behind bars.”

He added:

“Above all else, I would especially like to commend the bravery of both victims involved. They have both shown immense courage in coming forward about the non-recent abuse they suffered at the hands of Jackson, and I wish them well in their journey forward.

“My advice to anyone out there who has read this and can sadly relate to our survivors’ stories of abuse, is to open up to whoever you can if possible and remember that your local police force is here for you.”

Description

A 65-year-old man has been jailed for 16 years for non-recent sex offences.

Lee Tarry from Garton Road, Richmond Hill in Leeds appeared at Chester Crown Court for a 10 day trial on 6 October 2025. 

He was subsequently found guilty of 10 sexual offences on three victims between 1970 and 1990. Two of the victims were children at the time of the offences taking place.

He then appeared at Chester Crown Court on 2 December to be sentenced to 16 years in prison.

The offences took place in the Cheshire area.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Laura Lee said:

“I’d like to thank the victims for their bravery in coming forward and supporting a prosecution. I hope seeing Tarry get justice for his abhorrent actions against them helps them in some way.”

Description

A child sex offender who had evaded police and was finally captured following a Live Facial Recognition (LFR) deployment in Hackney has been sentenced.

On Friday, 19 December 2025, an LFR police van operating on Kingsland High Street, Dalston, identified Mohamed Patel as wanted for child sex offences.

Officers moved in swiftly, and he was arrested on suspicion of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming.

The case highlights LFR’s value in making London safer, with the tool helping officers locate those who pose a risk to women and girls.

Patel, 61 (11.04.1964), of Stoke Newington Road, Hackney, appeared at Wood Green Crown Court on Monday, 2 February, where he was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.

He has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

The Metropolitan Police Service continues to use LFR across London’s crime hotspots, helping officers locate wanted individuals.

Since the beginning of 2024, this technology has contributed to taking more than 1,700 offenders off the streets of London, including those wanted for rape and serious violence.

Lindsey Chiswick, the Met’s lead for facial recognition, said:

“The Met is committed to making London safer, using technology to identify offenders that pose a significant risk to our communities.

“This is a prime example of why the technology is vital. Without it, Patel could have continued to evade police and cause further harm to other victims.

“LFR is a powerful and game-changing tool, which is helping us to catch dangerous individuals and deliver justice for victims.”

Between Monday, 9 March 2020 and Saturday, 29 August 2020, Patel attempted to engage in conversation with a 12-year-old girl on an online chatroom.

Patel asked her what type of clothes she wears and made explicit sexual comments towards her.

He eventually travelled to meet the girl. However, instead of the girl, Patel was found and arrested by Met officers.

Following a complex investigation, he was charged on Friday, 30 May 2025 with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a girl under 16 years of age following grooming.

He failed to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 27 June 2025 and was circulated as wanted, before being located by LFR and arrested by officers on Friday, 19 December 2025.

Patel pleaded guilty to both offences at Thames Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, 20 December 2025.

Description

Jake Radwell, 42, a registered sex offender from Kent Street, Southampton, has admitted breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) while overstating his involvement with People's Pride Southampton, an LGBTQ+ charity he claims to have founded.

Radwell, who has posed as a prominent advocate for the group since before its 2019 inception as a community organization, was swiftly removed that year after his conviction came to light, according to the charity.

The breach occurred at a Southampton party on April 12, 2025, where a child was present and the parent was unaware of Radwell's status.

Appearing at Southampton Crown Court on February 3, 2026, in a red hoodie, Radwell confirmed his name and pleaded guilty. The case was prosecuted by James Kellam.

Defense lawyer David Storry said Radwell assumed others at the party—who knew his status—had informed the parent, adding: "The party was kept on CCTV, he was never unsupervised, and of course, he has pleaded guilty."

A People's Pride spokesperson stated Radwell has overstated his role, including as spokesperson and chairman post-2019, and rebuffed his claims: "He no longer has involvement and hasn't since being dismissed, although we do often get told he is out and about taking to people on our behalf, which we like to make absolutely clear he has nothing or will have anything to do with us."

The spokesperson explained not challenging his earlier claims to avoid seeming like they were "steamrolling" him.

The SHPO was imposed on April 10, 2017. When People's Pride briefly incorporated as People's Pride Soton CIC from June 19, 2023, Radwell was listed as a director, but the charity says this was without its knowledge.

Radwell told multiple media outlets, including the BBC in 2022, that he was founder and chairman, criticizing Southampton City Council over a monkeypox warning. He co-signed a 2023 letter opposing Britain First on the group's behalf, claimed to organize Pride In The Park in 2022, and sent a 2024 press release promoting that year's event.

In 2024, he helped organize Southampton Global Fusion, launched by trustees of Edmund Kell to collaborate with cultural groups.

Judge Gary Lucie adjourned the case until March 3, 2026, for a pre-sentence report. Radwell remains on unconditional bail.

Description

A man befriended schoolboys through a messaging app then coerced them to perform sex acts in exchange for Xbox codes. 

Ross Brogan, 31, from Glasgow, bombarded four teenage victims with indecent communications and obscene videos then offered payment if they would reciprocate. 

The High Court in Glasgow heard that the software engineer befriended the boys – all aged under 16 - via the social media app, Snapchat - and quickly tried to exploit their ‘friendships’ for his own gratification. 

Prosecutors told how he demanded intimate images and videos of the victims in return for Xbox or PlayStation codes which allow users to make purchases via their games console. 

He also left sex toys at a pre-arranged drop off point, instructing that they be used in indecent photos and footage which should be sent to him.  

He threatened to hurt the family of one boy if he didn’t obey. 

Brogan pled guilty to six sexual offences charges, all involving schoolboys, at a hearing last month. 

Returning to court for sentencing today (3 Feb), he was given 10 years and six months imprisonment, with a further three-year sentence extension during which time he will be subject to close monitoring and supervision. 

His name was added to the sex offenders register indefinitely.  

It is a priority for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) to tackle this kind of offending against children. 

Procurator Fiscal Faye Cook said:

“Ross Brogan’s behaviour was predatory and despicable. 

“He targeted young boys and exploited them for his own depraved ends. 

“Our thoughts are with the children and their loved ones as they attempt to move on with their lives. 

“COPFS is committed to protect children and prosecute robustly those who harm – or mean to harm – young people.  We will seek justice using every tool at our disposal. 

“Anyone with knowledge or experience of similar offending is encouraged to come forward, report it and seek support.” 

Description

A Gillingham sex offender who raped a young child has been jailed for 13 years.

Andrew Clark was arrested on 18 June 2023 after his victim disclosed the abuse he had suffered to officers, and the 62 year old was later charged with six offences.

Court

Clark consistently denied his crimes, prompting a trial in November 2025 which resulted in the jury finding him guilty of rape, attempted rape, three counts of sexual assault and possession of indecent images.

In addition to his imprisonment, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also imposed during Clark’s sentencing at Maidstone Crown Court on Tuesday 3 February.

Investigating officer DC Jack Kennedy said:

‘Andrew Clark has caused serious harm to a young person and his sentence is justly deserved for his terrible crimes.‘He denied the offences, forcing his victim to go through a prolonged trial. I’d like to commend the victim for coming forward and I hope Clark’s imprisonment brings them a sense of closure.’

Description

Following an investigation by Thames Valley Police, a man has been jailed for exposure offences in Berkshire.

Sethupathi Perisamy, aged 47, of Clifton Road, Slough, has been jailed for six months and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years.

At Reading Crown Court on Wednesday (28/1), he was found guilty of five counts of exposure.

Between the 8 March and 11 May last year, Perisamy was a food delivery driver.

As part of his job, he attended a number of addresses in Maidenhead, Slough and Windsor, during which he exposed himself to members of the public.

Perisamy was arrested on 16 May and was charged with the offences the following day.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Ashley Jones of Berkshire East CID, said:

“Thames Valley Police’s CID team in Berkshire East conducted a thorough investigation to bring Sethupathi Perisamy to justice.

“I am pleased Perisamy has been convicted and jailed for these sexual offences, which have a significant impact on victims.

“If you have been a victim of a sexual offence, Thames Valley Police will listen and support you.

“To report an offence please contact the force by visiting a police station, leaving details via our website or calling 101.” 

Description

A rapist has been jailed for ten years for violent attacks against two women.

Jakob Ireson, 31, of Sandringham Road, Walton, Peterborough, carried out the rape in October 2023 after attending a home in the city for drinks.

He made unwanted advances towards a woman and then left but later returned and attacked her as she slept. She woke up to find him raping her.

A year later, while on police bail, officers received a 999-call reporting that Ireson had turned up at another woman’s home in March.

He had let himself into the home of his expartner, despite being subject to an 18year restraining order prohibiting him from going there.

Ireson became verbally abusive before violently attacking her - he punched her in the face several times, threw her phone at the television, and strangled her for about 30 seconds.

She later disclosed Ireson had also kicked, punched, slapped and headbutted her during the terrifying assault, leaving her with facial injuries.

On Friday, 30 January, at Cambridge Crown Court, Ireson was sentenced to eight years in prison for rape, having been found guilty on 1 August last year following a trial.

He was handed a further two years after pleading guilty to actual bodily harm (ABH), intentional strangulation, harassment by breaching a restraining order, and two counts of criminal damage.

The sentences were ordered to run consecutively.

DC Kara Halls, who investigated, said: “Ireson’s actions were violent, predatory, and showed a complete disregard for the safety and wellbeing of the women involved. The bravery of the victims in coming forward has ensured he is now behind bars and unable to harm anyone else. I hope this sentence provides them with some sense of justice and reassurance.

“We remain committed to supporting survivors of sexual and domestic violence and bringing dangerous offenders to justice. I would urge anyone experiencing abuse, or concerned for someone else’s safety, to contact us. Help and support are always available.”

Description

An Iranian rapist, Kasra Esmaelie, 28, serving a lengthy sentence at HMP Isle of Wight and slated for deportation upon release, was caught with hidden mobile phones in his cell twice within two days.

Esmaelie, formerly of Westminster, pleaded guilty at IW Magistrates’ Court on January 23 to two counts of possessing a mobile phone in prison.

The court heard he had been served deportation papers and was due for removal from the UK this year, but only after completing his sentences—not until at least 2031.

Prosecutor Serena Edwards said Esmaelie was sentenced to 13 years at Reading Crown Court in June 2023 for his role in the 2021 kidnap and rape of a woman in Slough. The victim endured a “horrendous” attack after Esmaelie and another man injected her with heroin before raping and sexually assaulting her in a public car park.

Ms. Edwards added he also received a concurrent five-year sentence in 2021 for indecent child image offenses.

After his transfer to Parkhurst prison, officers searched his cell on July 2 last year and found a mobile phone and charger in a drawer's false bottom. Two days later, on July 3, another phone was discovered in a night light.

Defender Henry Martin noted Esmaelie complied with searches, made no obstruction attempts, and admitted possession both times.

Magistrates imposed two concurrent eight-week sentences, to run alongside his existing terms, plus a £157 victim surcharge upon release—though enforcement was uncertain due to his expected deportation to Iran.

Description

A serial south Essex sex offender has been jailed after being caught on a boat off Canvey Island with a stash of indecent images of children.

Barry Mills, 60, possessed photos and videos showing children as young as two being sexually abused, including digital and hard copy images—one of which he had kept in a toilet where it could have been seen by the public, the judge said.

Essex and Sussex police raided his vessel on December 16.

At Basildon Crown Court on Monday (February 2), the sentencing hearing revealed Mills had 75 prior convictions, many sexual.

In 1985, aged 18, he was convicted of indecent assault on a child under 14.

In 1990, he was convicted of possessing indecent images of children and indecent assault of a child under 16.

In 1994, at Chelmsford Crown Court, he received eight years in prison for indecent exposure, possessing indecent images, gross indecency with a child, and multiple indecent assaults on a child under 14.

After a long gap, in 2017 he was prosecuted for indecent exposure and given a suspended sentence.

Recorder Emma Nash noted that digital analysis showed Mills collected images in December while awaiting that 2017 sentence and during his court-ordered rehabilitation.

The digital images, on a Samsung phone and tablet, were downloaded between 2015 and 2018, with some acquired recently via Telegram.

Metadata indicated he last accessed a Category A image—depicting penetrative or sadistic child abuse—in June 2025.

Prosecutor Richard Scott said Mills had over 500 Category C images, 98 Category B, and over 100 Category A, including videos, plus extreme pornography and a prohibited child image.

“There is a clear history of sexual offending in respect of this defendant,” said Mr. Scott, citing aggravating factors like “the age and vulnerability” of victims and their “discernible pain and distress.”

Defense barrister Kerrie Rowan described Mills' “early life was marred with trauma, with abuse and instability,” adding, “Many, if not all, of those issues remain unresolved,” and he was “still clearly struggling with the same history of trauma.”

She argued he was capable of rehabilitation, having stayed offense-free for about 20 years after 1994 before relapsing due to “personal upheaval,” for which he was “very angry with himself.” With help, she said, he might achieve “very hopefully, another 20-year period where he is not back before the courts,” via a “stringent” order, “very heavy intervention from probation,” and rehab to “really try, in a significant way, to deal with this emotional dysregulation.”

But Recorder Nash cited a probation report noting poor prior compliance with supervision and a “high risk of sexual offending in relation to children.” Mills had used pseudonyms on Facebook and Grindr, and admitted stashing a hard copy image “in a toilet where both children and other people went on a regular basis.”

“There is no realistic prospect of rehabilitation in this case,” she said, sentencing him to 20 months in prison.

Mills, appearing via prison video link in a green t-shirt, showed no emotion.

He also received a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order banning contact with under-18s unless pre-approved by police and a parent or guardian aware of his record.

Description

A sex offender spared jail after paying young boys for explicit images has admitted breaching his internet restrictions.

Ricky Seaman, 32, denied possessing electronic devices during a police inspection of his home, but officers later found an undeclared phone hidden under a bed.

At Norwich Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded guilty to two breaches of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO): failing to register the device and not making it available for inspection during a routine check on December 2.

Deputy District Judge Jacqui Appleton called it a “deliberate breach,” noting he had “knowingly used a device that was unregistered and when questioned had denied knowledge of it.” She committed sentencing to Norwich Crown Court, warning his suspended prison term could be activated.

Mitigating, Lucy Brakewell said Seaman inherited the phone from his late father and hadn’t realized it needed registration.

Seaman, of Tunstead Road in Hoveton, received a two-year sentence suspended for 24 months and a 10-year SHPO in February 2025 for three counts of making indecent images of children.

He admitted posing as a 14-year-old girl on TikTok (while aged 28) to communicate with teenage boys, encouraging them to send images of themselves touching themselves sexually.

The boys’ bank accounts showed £10 payments for the pictures, with Seaman offering more if they touched themselves more vigorously.

Sparing him jail, Recorder James Waddington said the “serious offences” involved “exploited” young boys, but the wider community would be “better served” by his rehabilitation.

Description

A dangerous sexual abuser who carried out a campaign of offending against two women has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after 19 charges were secured against him.

This follows an investigation carried out over several months last year by specialist detectives within our Adult Sexual Abuse Investigation Team into offences in the Chelmsford area.

The evidence gathered avoided a trial, instead leading to guilty pleas by offender Ashley Bewick, 38, who admitted:

• Five counts of rape
• Four counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm
• Three counts of sexual assault
• Three counts of intentional suffocation
• Two counts of attempted rape
• One count of nonfatal strangulation
• One count of intentional strangulation

'I was isolated and silenced'

The first of the two victims came forward last year, reporting that she had been raped and physically abused by Bewick on many occasions, dating back as far as 2008.

This included incidents of rape, strangulation and physical assaults that left her injured.

Following his arrest, a second woman came forward to report instances of sexual assault at the hands of Bewick.

In an impact statement read to a sentencing hearing at Ipswich Crown Court, this victim said:

“He made me feel a thousand times more worthless than I already did.

“Because of him, I was isolated and silenced even further… I wish that I’d had the courage back then to report it.

“I just couldn’t. I genuinely believed that nobody would believe me.”

Now working as a police officer, this victim described the moment she came forward.

She said:

“When I saw that he was in custody, a feeling of panic rushed over me. I decided to tell my sergeant about what he’d done to me years ago.

“As the words were coming out of my mouth, I was almost in disbelief that I was finally reporting him. From that moment, the investigative team ran away with it.

“They said that it was my coming forward that further demonstrated the risk he posed to women, meaning remanding him in custody while he awaited court was the only option.

“It wasn’t just for me at that moment, and I knew I’d done the right thing to protect others too.

“My mind was all over the place, and I regretted not saying anything before – but I just thought, ‘I am a different person now, I am going to be believed, I am going to be listened to.’

“Even if you feel like something is minor and you don’t think it’s worth reporting what someone has done to you, it could help to build a bigger picture and a pattern of behaviour.

“Operation Soteria provides investigators with really valuable tools to strengthen sexual offence cases. Investigators can identify when a victim is ‘telling, not reporting’, and their wishes will be respected.

“You will be listened to and details of what the perpetrator has done to you will be recorded.

“Even if you don’t want to pursue or support a criminal investigation right now, the information you provide may be vital in strengthening any future cases that offender features in.”

Guilty pleas

In Bewick’s case, the investigative team put support in place for each victim as evidence was gathered.

Bewick admitted the charges against him on the day his trial was due to start, 12 January this year.

He was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment on Friday 23 January, with indefinite restraining orders imposed.

Detective Constable Zoe Waddup, the officer in the case, said:

“It’s really important that victims in Essex recognise there is no ticking clock when it comes to what you have gone through.

“Sexual and physical abuse is often rooted in manipulation, fear and coercion – you might not feel ready or able to make a report until months or even years later.

“I hope cases like this prove that, when you are ready, there are specialist detectives in Essex who are trained to handle these investigations.

“We listened, and we took these matters incredibly seriously.

“As a result of this investigation and what we uncovered, I do feel a 20year sentence is a fair reflection of the horrific offending perpetrated by Bewick.

“He is a violent, committed sexual offender who cared little for the suffering of his victims.

“Bewick was left with little option but to plead guilty to what he had done, and it is a small mercy that the victims will not have to face a difficult trial.”

Description

A "dangerous" rapist who attacked two women on the same day has been jailed for 14 years.

Wesley McKenna, 48, from Forest Hall, North Tyneside, targeted the first woman after meeting her in the street, then hours later attacked another in her home, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Judge Tim Gittins said McKenna’s actions had a "profound impact" on his two "vulnerable victims", with one fearing she had contracted hepatitis, which the rapist was known to have.

McKenna denied wrongdoing but was convicted of two counts of rape and four of sexual assault after groping and raping the women hours apart on 7 May 2024.

The judge ruled him a "dangerous offender" and ordered a further five years on extended licence upon release. McKenna must also sign the sex offenders register for life.

Description

A man who raped a woman in the centre of York has been jailed.

Eid Anwar Fathi Najjar, 21, an Egyptian national of no fixed address but living in York at the time, was jailed for eight years when he appeared at York Crown Court on 2 February 2026. 

Najjar previously pleaded guilty to rape and sexual assault on 30 October after an overwhelming amount of evidence left him with no choice.

On 6 July 2025, the victim was on a night out with friends in York when Najjar singled her out and approached her. At one point he was warned by door security staff to keep away from her after his sexual and predatory behaviour raised concerns.

While door-staff were distracted, he lured the victim out of the club and into an alleyway where he raped her.

The woman was found in a distressed state by two passing members of the public who flagged down a police officer.

Although the victim could not initially recall what had happened, it soon became clear that she was the victim of a serious sexual assault and an investigation was launched to find the suspects as a matter of urgency.

An intense investigation followed involving over 20 officers that led detectives to quicky identify Najjar as the suspect along with another man who he called to the scene of rape. They were both arrested a short time later.

Najjar denied the offences during police interviews claiming that the woman he had preyed upon had consented.

However, the extensive investigation proved that she could not have consented and both CCTV, witness testimony, phone data and forensic evidence put Najjar at the scene and proved that he was the rapist, leaving him no choice but to plead guilty. In total the investigation resulted in officers processing 191 clips of CCTV footage, taking 90 witness statements and producing or seizing 183 exhibits.

Najjar was remanded in custody following his arrest and charged with rape and sexual assault on 10 July and appeared in court the following day. He has been in custody ever since.

The charges against a co-defendant who was also arrested at the time of the offence, were withdrawn after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) determined that the evidential test for prosecution against him was no longer met.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintendent Fionna McEwan of North Yorkshire Police’s Major Investigation Team, said:

“Najjar is a sexual predator and a danger to women and is now rightly behind bars.

“My thanks go to the victim for her bravery and support of the investigation after being subjected to such a horrific ordeal.

“I would also like to thank the members of the public who took care of the victim after the attack and supported the investigation, and the numerous members of door staff who provided witness evidence and made attempts to prevent Najjar from targeting women.

“Rape and sexual assault have far-reaching and long-lasting effects on survivors and everyone in society must challenge predatory and sexualised behaviour when they see it.

“All women must be able to enjoy a night out without worrying about the entitled behaviour of predatory men.

“I urge anyone If you are a victim of rape or sexual assault, no matter when it happened, please come forward. You will be listened to and all reports will be fully investigated. Even if the incident was a long time ago and it is not possible to convict the offender, you will still be offered all of the support services that are available to victims of abuse.”