Mohammed Al Masri, 25, has been jailed for eight years for raping a young mum after tricking her into getting into a taxi following a night out in Manchester. He was found guilty of rape by a jury in June and was sentenced on Friday at Minshull Street Crown Court.
Attack after night out
The victim, in her 20s, had been out drinking with a friend in Manchester city centre on December 21 last year. At the end of the night, they went their separate ways, and the woman tried to get a taxi. Al Masri and an associate offered to get her an Uber home, and she saw them type her postcode into the Uber app, so she believed they were taking her home.
But once in the car, she began to feel unsafe, and the effects of alcohol made her head spin. The Uber driver told police she fell asleep on the defendant's shoulder and later with her head in his lap. She had the presence of mind to share her live location with her boyfriend via WhatsApp.
Victim taken to HMO
Instead of taking her home, the men took her to a house of multiple occupancy in Abbey Hey, Gorton, where Al Masri was living. The victim was so intoxicated that she had to be lifted and carried out of the taxi by the two men and taken to the defendant's bedroom. Al Masri told her she was safe and that her boyfriend was on his way to collect her.
After falling asleep on the bed, the woman became aware that Al Masri was raping her. She said the other man was in the room, at the end of the bed, and believes he was recording the attack on his mobile phone.
Police alerted
After seeing her live location, the woman's boyfriend rang 999, and officers rushed to the address on Gordon Street in the early hours of December 22. She was extremely distressed and jumped into the arms of the female officers who responded.
Al Masri accepted he had had sex with the woman but told police it was consensual and that she had initiated it. He denied one count of rape but was found guilty by a jury on a majority of 10-2.
Victim impact
In a statement read to court, the victim said: "It should have been a night I remember for all the right reasons. However, now, it is a night I never want to think about. I will never forget the fear that I felt when this man took me to his house. I had no idea who he was. I had no idea where I was. I genuinely questioned if I would leave this place with my life."
She added: "I remember not being able to move my body because I was so frozen with fear. I remember thinking: 'I am going to die.' The next thing I remember is the police entering the room and I have never felt relief like it. I knew I was going to live. This was not the end of what happened to me. I feel like this was only the beginning."
Sentencing
Judge Recorder Alexandra Simmonds said there were elements of abduction as the woman was deceived into thinking she was being taken home. She said the victim was in a vulnerable state and was in no condition to make any free and informed decision about sexual activity. The victim also had to suffer the degradation and humiliation of the presence of the second man.
In addition to the prison sentence, Al Masri was made subject to notification requirements for life, a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, and a restraining order. He may be deported, but that would be a matter for immigration, not this court, his barrister said.
Anna Mackenzie, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Mohammed Al Masri posed as a 'good Samaritan' when he offered to help the woman get a taxi home after a night out, but his motives were far more sinister. The way he targeted a lone woman who he believed would be vulnerable through alcohol was both calculating and insidious. Al Masri’s vile actions have had a lasting impact on the woman. I truly hope today’s sentence will help her move forward knowing that without her bravery and support, this dangerous man would still be in our community."
