A man described as “predatory” has been jailed for four years after sexually assaulting two women in Falkirk. Muhammad Sheikhi, 23, was sentenced at Stirling Sheriff Court on Monday, having been convicted at a trial in May.
Sentencing and Restrictions
Sheriff Keith O’Mahony called the assaults “deliberate and predatory” and imposed a sentence at the upper end of his powers. Sheikhi was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and ordered not to contact or approach the victims for 10 years.
Details of the Attacks
Both attacks happened in the early hours of Sunday, November 30, near the Hotel Cladhan where Sheikhi was staying. The victims, both in their early 20s, were walking home alone after nights out. The first was targeted at a railway bridge on Kerse Lane, where Sheikhi hugged her, kissed her repeatedly, and put his hands under her skirt. He then assaulted a second woman in Kerse Lane and the nearby Bellsmeadow skate park, pinning her against a tree.
Background and Trial
Sheikhi, a Syrian refugee who came to the UK by boat, denied the charges and told police he was just “roaming around” because he had no one to socialise with at his hotel. However, after a four-day trial, a jury found him guilty of both charges in three hours. Prosecutor Jamie Hilland said Sheikhi had acted in a “predatory” manner.
