Suleman Mukaish, a 27-year-old migrant delivery driver, has been sentenced to eight years and three months in prison, with an additional three years on extended licence, for raping a woman over a car bonnet in a hospital car park in Worthing, West Sussex. The attack occurred on March 11, shortly after the victim had left the accident and emergency department at Worthing Hospital.
Details of the Attack
Prosecutor Chetna Patel told the court that on the evening of the assault, the victim was “intoxicated, confused and unsteady on her feet” when she left the hospital. Mukaish, who was cycling home, spotted her and grabbed her by the arm, leading her to the Lyndhurst Road car park opposite the hospital. Despite the woman attempting to hold onto a wall to stop him, he forced her onto the bonnet of a car and raped her. He then fled the scene.
The distressed victim was found by a member of the public shortly after, and police were called. Forensic officers recovered handprints and fingerprints from the car where the attack took place, leading to Mukaish’s identification. He was arrested two days later at Gatwick Airport with a one-way ticket to Pakistan.
Sentencing and Impact
Judge Christine Henson KC, sentencing at Hove Crown Court, stated that the woman “was at her most vulnerable when you, a complete stranger, raped her over the bonnet of a car in the car park adjacent to the hospital that she had just left from.” She emphasised that “the impact psychologically on (her) has been immense.” The court heard that the victim fears she may have contracted HIV from the attack and can no longer return to the hospital due to flashbacks.
Judge Henson noted that Mukaish, who has no previous convictions, “clearly a highly intelligent person” with a Master’s degree in computer science and no known mental health or substance misuse issues. She said his offer of money to the victim “reinforces your attitude of sexual entitlement” and considered there is a risk of him committing further offences.
Defence and Mitigation
Mukaish entered the UK on a student visa with graduate leave until 2028. He worked multiple jobs, including as a delivery driver. In mitigation, his defence counsel claimed that Mukaish’s account was that he saw the woman in trouble and stopped to assist, but then “takes advantage of a woman in a very vulnerable position.” The defence said the woman asked him for money, and he offered it “essentially on an understanding” that he could do what he wanted, leading to the offence. Mukaish accepted the woman did not have the capacity to consent.
Mukaish previously pleaded guilty to the rape at Lewes Crown Court on April 13. He was assisted by an Urdu interpreter during the hearing.
