Muhammad Sheikhi, a 23-year-old Syrian refugee, has been sentenced to four years in prison for sexually assaulting two women in Falkirk. The sentence was handed down at Stirling Sheriff Court on Monday, following his conviction at a trial in May.
Sheriff's condemnation
Sheriff Keith O'Mahony described the assaults as "deliberate and predatory" and noted that the seriousness of the crimes warranted 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.
Addressing Sheikhi, Sheriff O'Mahony said: "During the early hours of November 30 2025 the evidence established that you targeted two young women who were alone and vulnerable as they walked home. In my assessment, these (offences) were not a spontaneous act. These were deliberate and predatory sexual assaults against strangers who had every right to walk home in safety."
Details of the attacks
Both attacks occurred in the early hours of Sunday, November 30, near the Hotel Cladhan where Sheikhi was staying. He targeted the first woman at a railway bridge on Kerse Lane, hugging her, repeatedly kissing her on the face and mouth, and putting his hands under her skirt.
He then sexually assaulted a second woman in Kerse Lane and the nearby Bellsmeadow skate park, pinning her against a tree before putting his hands under her clothing. Both victims were in their early 20s and were walking home alone after nights out in the town centre.
Defence and conviction
Defence lawyer Paul Keenan said his client had fled the "terror of ISIS" and maintained his innocence. Sheikhi, who came to the UK by boat, had denied the charges, telling police he was just "roaming around" as he had no one to socialise with in his hotel.
However, after a four-day trial in May, a jury found him guilty of both charges after three hours of deliberation. Prosecutor Jamie Hilland had argued that Sheikhi acted in a "predatory" manner towards the two women.
Sheikhi appeared in court in a black t-shirt and jeans, accompanied by a translator. He was visibly emotional when the sentence was imposed and as he left the courtroom. The four-year sentence will be backdated to December 2025, when Sheikhi was first remanded.
