In-depth work of detectives puts sexual predator behind bars

Today (Friday 1 November), at Northampton Crown Court, he was sentenced for a total of ten offences – including one count of attempted rape and four counts of sexual touching.

Police were first alerted to the incident after the victim – who is in her 20s – was able to send a message to her friends asking for help, along with her location. After they rescued her from the defendant’s car, the incident was reported and an investigation began.

Through both extensive examination of CCTV, number plate recognition and data from the victim’s phone, police were able to uncover a detailed timeline of events that helped to convict Mohammed at a trial in June this year.

Detective Constable (DC) Sarah Le Boutillier, from the force’s Signal team, was the officer in the case.

She said: “In the initial days of the incident this case had extensive dedicated resource in order to identify the suspect and piece together exactly what had occurred. Officers were trawling through hours of city centre CCTV and providing support and reassurance to the victim was also crucial.

“This vital work enabled us to not only make a swift arrest but to also have enough evidence to charge and remand the defendant within a few days of the incident occurring.”

As part of the investigation, DC Le Boutillier and the rest of the investigation team, were able to establish that shortly before 9.30pm on Sunday 17 December, the defendant was driving in St Nicholas Circle at the same time as the victim was walking along the street.

CCTV clearly shows his vehicle – a silver Volkswagen Golf – braking suddenly as it drove past the woman, before turning left into Castle Street and parking. 

Ghulan can then be seen getting out of the car and heading in the direction of the victim. As she walked along Southgates and then turned in to the opposite end of Castle Street, the defendant caught up with the woman and the two can then be seen talking.

After nearly an hour of him pursuing the victim around the streets, shortly before 10.30pm, they both got into the defendant’s car and headed out of the city.

For more than two hours the car is driven around and parked in numerous locations – including in the area of Richard III Road, Pingle Street and Swan Street.

At 12.40am the following morning, the Golf was then captured pulling onto a petrol station forecourt in Groby Road. Both are seen getting out of the car and the victim can be seen in an angry and distressed state.

Around 10 minutes later the pair return to the vehicle and head in the direction of Leicester Forest East.

After further work examining phone data, police were able to show at around 1am the victim had sent a voice note to a friend asking for help along with live location information. The victim also spoke little English and a translation app used on her phone contained vital information that showed it had been used a number of times – including to communicate ‘give me my clothes back’ and ‘take me home’.

Shortly after 1.30am the car is then parked in a hotel car park in Hinckley Road where it then remains with the headlights off.

The victim’s friends arrive at the hotel at 1.50am and find her in the back of the car with the defendant. He is confronted by the friends before they leave in a taxi with the victim.

Accounts given to police by the victim’s friends, which have since been corroborated by CCTV, also showed Mohammed then followed the taxi as it headed back into the city – only driving off when the vehicle pulled into Mansfield House Police Station in Belgrave Gate.

On two occasions that morning, at 2.43am and 6.47am, the defendant then used the victim’s stolen bank card to make a total of four transactions totalling £125.14.

Alongside the sexual offences committed against the victim he was convicted of a further five offences – four counts of fraud and one count of theft – at trial. He was found not guilty of one count of actual bodily harm.

DC Le Boutillier added: “Mohammed is a sexual predator who intentionally sought out the victim that night after seeing her alone and in a vulnerable state.

“It is thanks to her friends that she was rescued from the defendant’s car after she was able to share her location data with them. I believe had this not happened further offences would have been committed.

“The swift reporting of the incident meant we were able to launch an investigation very quickly and within less than 28 hours the suspect had been identified and arrested. Despite the evidence against him being undeniable, the defendant chose not to admit what he did and instead caused the victim further trauma by making her relive the events of the night during the trial. I am pleased justice has now been done and this dangerous individual is no longer on our streets.”

There are a number of different agencies who are able to offer independent help and support to victims of sexual offences in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

Further information on these services and details on who to contact if you have been a victim of a sexual offence can be found by visiting https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences