Syrian Nationals Jailed for 11 Years After Raping Intoxicated Teenager in Winsford Sexual Assault

Two men have each been sentenced to 11 years in prison for raping an 18-year-old woman after targeting her while she was heavily intoxicated in a Cheshire nightclub.

Syrian nationals Dilgash Adil, 32, and Diyar Mohammed Abdulsalm, 28, both of Ledward Street, Winsford, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday, July 24, for sentencing.

They were unanimously convicted by a jury last month following a trial in which both men falsely claimed the sexual contact was consensual.

The court heard that the defendants took advantage of the teenager's highly vulnerable state before subjecting her to the attacks at a house of multiple occupancy (HMO) on December 21.

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Prosecutor Denise Fitzpatrick told the court that the defendants met the victim and her friends at a nightclub at approximately 12:30 am.

The jury heard that Adil, a former shepherd in Syria who was granted refugee status in the UK in 2020, deliberately plied the teenager with alcohol until she was noticeably intoxicated, unable to understand conversation, and falling over.

At the end of the night, the two men offered to give the victim and a male friend a lift home.

The prosecution stated that after dropping the friend off near his home, the defendants immediately drove away with the 18-year-old woman while the passenger door of the vehicle was still left open.

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They subsequently transported her to Abdulsalm’s accommodation in Winsford, where the victim was drifting in and out of consciousness.

The court heard that Adil raped the teenager before effectively ushering her into another room, where he invited his co-defendant to also rape her.

Abdulsalm, an asylum seeker whose immigration status was still under assessment at the time of the offences, then proceeded to rape the victim.

At 4:55 am, police were called to concerns for the 18-year-old in Winsford. She was later located near an area known as The Drumber, where she formally disclosed to officers that she had been raped.

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The court additionally heard that at approximately 6:20 am, the victim telephoned her mother in an extremely distressed state, stating that she did not know what had happened to her. Both defendants were arrested later that same day.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the young woman detailed the severe psychological toll of the ordeal.

She stated that she no longer feels safe, suffers from panic attacks, struggles to sleep, and experiences intense anxiety around strangers.

Nicholas Williams, defending Adil, told the court that his client had not set out that night with a premeditated plan to sexually attack anyone.

Mr Williams added that Adil had come to the UK for a better life, noting that things would now be very different for him.

Sentencing the pair through a Kurdish interpreter, Judge Simon Berkson condemned their actions, stating it was quite clear they had taken advantage of the victim's vulnerable condition.

Judge Berkson noted that the teenager was frankly in no fit state to consent to anything and was actively blacking out. He added that she was deliberately targeted due to her severe intoxication in the nightclub.

Judge Berkson sentenced Adil to 11 years in prison for one count of rape, and sentenced Abdulsalm to 11 years in prison for two counts of rape.

In addition to their custodial sentences, both men have been ordered to sign the sex offender register indefinitely.

Following the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Ian Murray of Cheshire Police stated that the defendants had targeted a young woman who could not consent due to her level of intoxication.

He praised the quick work of officers to ensure the victim was safeguarded and to arrest the perpetrators.

Detective Chief Inspector Ian Murray added:

”That while the victim will never be able to forget what happened, he hopes the custodial sentences will provide her with some closure knowing that justice has been served.”

He urged anyone wishing to report a sexual offence to contact Cheshire Police on 101.