Asylum Seeker Accused of Gang Rape Absconded After Attack, Court Hears
An asylum seeker accused of participating in the gang rape of a "drunk, vulnerable woman" on Brighton beach absconded from his Home Office-approved hotel accommodation the day after the alleged assault, Hove Crown Court has been told. Iranian-born Abdulla Ahmadi, aged 26, left his hotel in Horsham, West Sussex, and traveled over 200 miles to an address in Crewe, Cheshire, in a move that was not authorized by immigration authorities.
Alleged Flight and Video Evidence
While in Crewe, the court heard that Ahmadi received three videos depicting the alleged attack on Brighton beach. He allegedly placed two of these clips into a hidden folder on his device. Prosecutors asserted that he later watched these videos to revisit the incident. Days after his departure, police tracked Ahmadi to his new location, arrested him, and seized his mobile phone as evidence.
During cross-examination, prosecutor Hanna Llewellyn-Waters questioned Ahmadi about his sudden departure from the hotel. She asked, "What was the rush with you having to get away?" Speaking through an interpreter, Ahmadi responded, "I just wanted because that male offered me to go there." Ms. Llewellyn-Waters countered, "You left in an unapproved move." Ahmadi insisted he had provided all details to hotel reception and left lawfully.
Details of the Alleged Attack and Co-Defendants
Ahmadi is on trial alongside Egyptian national Ibrahim Alshafe, aged 25, accused of repeatedly gang raping a 33-year-old woman on October 4 last year. A third defendant, Karin Al-Danasurt, aged 20 and also from Egypt, allegedly filmed the assault and encouraged the attackers. All three men are charged with rape, while Al-Danasurt faces an additional charge of sharing intimate videos of the incident. They deny all charges.
The jury heard that Ahmadi left the Home Office hotel on October 5 and was subsequently sent three videos of the alleged attack by Al-Danasurt. Prosecutors claim he deleted the first video but stored the other two in a hidden folder. When asked why he repeatedly accessed these videos, Ahmadi denied doing so, stating he first learned of them after his arrest. The prosecutor retorted, "You absolutely were. That's just a lie, isn't it? Is it because you enjoyed watching it? Because you wanted to keep them as trophies?" Ahmadi replied, "No, I didn't see them."
Background of the Defendants and Night of the Incident
The court was informed that Ahmadi arrived in the UK via a small boat in June 2025 and was housed at the Cisswood House Hotel in Horsham after processing at a detention centre. Alshafe had been on the same small boat, while Al-Danasurt entered the UK in October 2024. Asylum seekers at the hotel received £9 per week from the Home Office and were generally allowed to come and go freely.
On the night of October 3, the three friends prepared at the hotel before taking a bus to Brighton. They visited Revolution Club and later the Horizon nightclub in the early hours. The alleged rape occurred after Ahmadi and Alshafe met the woman on the seafront around 5 a.m. upon leaving the nightclub.
Ahmadi testified that the woman approached them, kissed both men, and grabbed their genitals. He claimed she then suggested having sex together, leading them across the road and onto Brighton beach. Ahmadi stated they were engaged in "consensual sex" behind a beach shack when Al-Danasurt arrived and began filming. Alshafe and Ahmadi allege that Al-Danasurt grabbed the complainant's face, forced her mouth open, spat in it, and repeatedly called her a "dirty b***h," which angered her.
Court Proceedings and Evidence
The court was shown three short videos of the alleged rape—lasting 29 seconds, 22 seconds, and 8 seconds—which were reportedly recovered from Al-Danasurt's phone. The trial continues as the jury examines the evidence and testimonies in this high-profile case.
