Small boat asylum seeker jailed for Tamworth castle rape

A Kurdish asylum seeker, who was rescued from the English Channel just weeks before committing a predatory sex attack, has been jailed for seven years.

Mehmet Ogur, 27, targeted an 18-year-old woman he had met online shortly after being granted government-funded accommodation in a Staffordshire hotel. The attack, which took place in the grounds of the historic Tamworth Castle, has left the victim "completely changed" and mourning the loss of her "internal light."

The Lead-Up to the Attack

Stafford Crown Court heard that Ogur, a trained veterinary technician originally from Turkey, arrived in the United Kingdom via a small boat in the winter of 2024. Upon his arrival, he was placed at the Holiday Inn Express in Tamworth—a location that would later become a flashpoint for civil unrest.

Within weeks of his arrival, Ogur began using social media to meet local women. He connected with the 18-year-old victim, and the pair engaged in three consensual dates involving "kissing and cuddling." However, the prosecution, led by Hunter Gray, noted that the victim was "naïve" and "anxious to befriend" the newcomer, unaware of the predatory turn the relationship would take.

On their fourth meeting, the pair walked through the grounds of Tamworth Castle. The victim explicitly stated that she did not wish to have sex, as she was on her period. Despite her clear and repeated protestations, Ogur’s behaviour escalated from "unwanted advances" to a violent and traumatic rape.

Read more: Darlington Pub Predator Jailed for Nearly Six Years

The "Google Translate" Defence

Following the assault, the victim fled the scene. Ogur subsequently sent her a series of messages on Snapchat, in which he apologised for "forcing" her into sexual activity.

During his trial last summer, Ogur attempted to deploy a novel legal defence. He admitted sending the messages but claimed that Google Translate had misinterpreted his Turkish intent, suggesting the app had "altered the meaning" of his words to sound like a confession.