A Libyan asylum seeker who groped a 15-year-old girl on a street in Crewe has been jailed for 15 weeks. Taha Derwish, 26, approached the teenage girls in September 2025 and made repeated unwanted advances before touching one on the bottom, despite being told they were all 15.
Incident on Nantwich Road
Chester Crown Court heard that on 24th September 2025, a group of teenage girls were walking on Nantwich Road in Crewe when Derwish approached them. Cheshire Police were contacted by the girls, and Derwish was arrested within 10 minutes of the incident occurring.
At a previous hearing, Derwish pleaded guilty to sexual assault. Last week, he appeared via videolink from HMP Altcourse in Fazakerley, Merseyside, for sentencing. It was not confirmed if he will be immediately deported at the end of his sentence.
Asylum appeal context
When Derwish first appeared in court in September 2025, magistrates heard he was appealing a refused asylum application and had been staying at the Royal Hotel in Crewe. Cheshire Police stated last year, when he was charged, that Derwish "is of Libyan nationality".
Police said: "He made several unwanted advances towards them, before inappropriately touching one of the girls on the bottom, despite being told that they were only 15 years old. Cheshire Police were contacted, and Derwish was arrested within 10 minutes of the incident occurring."
Police response
After the sentencing, Detective Sergeant George Booth said: "Firstly, I would like to commend the girls involved in this incident, who were understandably left shaken and upset by Derwish’s actions. They trusted their instincts, recognised that his behaviour was completely unacceptable, and contacted police immediately.
"Their swift actions allowed officers to attend the scene and arrest Derwish within minutes of receiving the call. I hope this result reassures them that they did the right thing by coming forward and that reports of this nature are always taken seriously. Women and girls should be free to go about their daily lives without fearing for their safety.
"Let me be clear, this behaviour has no place in our communities, and anyone who causes others to fear violence or intimidation can expect to be dealt with swiftly and robustly."
