The alleged ringleader of a group of men accused of sexually abusing vulnerable girls in Rochdale gifted a troubled teen brand-new trainers before raping her, a trial has heard. Tahir Rashid, 55, is one of six men on trial at Minshull Street Crown Court charged with historic sexual offences allegedly committed against three girls in the town.
The abuse of one allegedly began in the late 1980s, with the alleged exploitation of the two others beginning in the mid-2000s. Rashid, along with Mohammed Saleem, 47, Sucklane Shah, 47, Amjad Mahmood, 54, Iftaq Hussain, 46, and Arshad Mohammed, 56, deny all charges they face.
Alleged abuse of Girl C
Tahir Rashid faces five counts of rape and three counts of indecent assault alleged by Girl C, who first met him at the corner shop where he worked when she was a child, the trial heard on August 28. The victims are now adults but are referred to as Girl A, B and C due to their legal right to anonymity.
Known as Taz, Rashid was described as a strong, well-built 19-year-old at the time, prosecution barrister Rossano Scamardella KC told the jury. "He was kind to Girl C," Scamardella said. "He took her places, he gave her money, bought her clothes and took her to Alton Towers. What began with kindness and generosity soon became aggression and intimidation. It was through force that he got his way."
The first incident was said to have taken place in the 1980s when the complainant was around 12 or 13. She was taken to a bare room in a house, where he held her down and raped her, the court heard. The second incident took place at what Girl C described to police as Rashid's uncle's home. "She does not know whether this was a term of affection and respect," Scamardella said. "An older man answered the door and let them in."
Girl C was taken to an upstairs room which contained nothing but a dirty double mattress. Jurors were told that Rashid raped her, with Girl C describing it as rushed and silent. He is alleged to have raped her a further three times, and also forced her to perform oral sex on him. These incidents are alleged to have taken place in his car on waste ground near a warehouse, in her bedroom, and at another woman's house in Rochdale, where the alleged incident was the most violent of all.
Rashid was said to have become angered when Girl C refused to give him oral sex. "She struggled with him, he pushed her back and bit her breast, hard," Scamardella said. "He then overpowered her." Girl C first reported this to police in 2014. Scamardella told the court how she told officers at the time she felt she couldn't tell anybody. "I just felt too ashamed. I just couldn't voice it, I don't know why, I just couldn't," she said at the time.
Allegations by Girls A and B
Rashid is also charged with five counts of rape and one of assault by penetration against Girl A, whom he met when she was in her early teens in the 2000s. He was introduced to her through Mohammed Saleem, a co-defendant with whom he was said to be close friends. Scamardella said that Girl A knew Rashid as a drug dealer with lots of money. He called her to invite her to a party that other men she knew would be at.
At this party, Rashid kissed and penetrated Girl A with his fingers while being in no doubt about her age. He also gifted her with new trainers and a hoodie. "Mr Rashid was flashy," the court heard. "He had two diamond encrusted rings in his bedroom which he said were worth £50,000 each. Cars were quite a thing for him, and he claimed to have a series of luxury vehicles." He allegedly owned a black Suzuki Vitara and two BMWs, including a 3-series and 7-series.
He allegedly raped her and forced her to perform oral sex on him on at least three occasions, including at his flat and a property in Rochdale where she knew she would be given food and alcohol and a place to stay. Girl B also knew Rashid as a very rich drug dealer with multiple properties. She was under 16 when she first had sex with him, when he was around 30. He is accused of two counts of rape against her.
"She described Mr Rashid as a man who was very hard to say no to," Scamardella said. "She described to police as 'tight' if she refused to have sex with a man. Drunk from the alcohol given to her by Mr Rashid, she had sex with him and lots of other men, because she did not feel she could say no. Surrendering to sex in these circumstances means nothing. She was not consenting."
Other defendants' alleged crimes
Mohammed Saleem, known as Wolf, is accused of eight counts of rape against Girl A in the 2000s. She was in her early teens when they first met and had sex within a short time of meeting. He would do kind things for her such as running a bath, and be nicer to her as opposed to demanding sex. "Girl A found it exciting and saw him as a good friend with whom she had sex," Scamardella said. "This changes nothing. He knew she was a schoolgirl and preyed upon her."
On one occasion he took her to his family home to have sex, in darkness as it would not look good for a young, white girl to be seen at his house. Saleem was said to have been aware that Girl A was having regular sex with Rashid. "They were part of the same group of men abusing children. Passed around for sex, day after day. It came to an end because of the sheer amount of men Girl A was being abused by. Her phone number had been passed around to hundreds of men. She told police how she might be on the phone to one man who wanted sex, while three others would be on hold."
Sucklane Shah is accused of two counts of rape on Girl B. He was a married man with children at the time, and on one occasion verbally berated Girl B after she called his house. Arshad Mohammed is accused of four counts of rape on Girl B and one count on Girl A. He met Girl B in the street when she was under 16 and he was in his 30s. He began calling her regularly, buying things for her including a new pink phone, and would pick her up from her mum's address and drive her to places for sex. He told Girl A that he worked for a modelling agency and persuaded her to pose naked for photographs. "It was cruel, but typical of the lengths these men would go to," the prosecutor said.
Iftaq Hussain, known as Itty, is accused of three counts of rape on Girl A. They would go to a warehouse and drink alcohol, mess around and have sex on office chairs. Amjad Mahmood is accused of seven counts of rape against Girl A. "He was in his 30s and knew how old she was," Scamardella said. "He went to considerable lengths to keep her from being seen." Jurors were told how Mahmood allegedly had sex with her 15 or 20 times over a six-month period when she was in her early teens.
On one occasion she was given £30 for having sex with another man. Once when she refused to have sex with another man, he punched her hard in the face, giving her a nasty black eye. Another incident took place in Mahmood's car, when he allegedly procured a 10-inch sex toy and forcefully inserted it inside her, causing her to bleed and feel real pain. "He just laughed, saying he had stretched her and ruined her," Scamardella said. "He was a violent rapist, a bully, and treated schoolgirls like sex slaves." He is also accused of five counts of rape by Girl B. "He used threats, nastiness and force to make sure the girls never felt safe saying no." Mahmood is not present in the dock as he is receiving treatment in a foreign hospital for a complex psychiatric illness. Jurors were told that through no fault of his own he is unfit to stand trial.
Rashid, of Hudsons Walk, Rochdale, denies 12 counts of rape, three counts of indecent assault, and one count of assault by penetration. Saleem, of Bradley Smithy Close, Rochdale, denies eight counts of rape. Shah, of Crawford Street, Rochdale, denies two counts of rape. Mohammed, of Merefield Street, Rochdale, denies four counts of rape and one count of assault by penetration. Hussain, of Hey Street, Rochdale, denies three counts of rape. Mahmood, of Channing Street, Rochdale, denies 11 counts of rape, two counts of indecency with a child, two counts of assault by penetration and one count of indecent assault. The trial, expected to last around three months, continues.
