Six years over park rape of a Good Samaritan

The woman was walking her dog at around 5.30am on September 15 last year when she saw Abbas Ali and thought he needed assistance.

She was on her way to a garage to get some shopping and noticed him as she cut through St Augustine’s Park in Hanson Lane, Pellon, Halifax.

He was staggering around and appeared drunk, so she helped him to a bench so he could sit down.

But as he did that he grabbed her, pulled her hair and threatened to kill her if she did not do as he wanted.

He then forced her to perform a sex act on him.

The woman was fearful because of his threats but had the presence of mind to dig her nails into his legs to try and secure DNA evidence.

As soon as she could get away from him she escaped and rang the police.

When arrested Ali initially denied having anything to do with the offence but at trial claimed the sexual contact happened with consent.

A jury at Bradford Crown Court rejected that account in August after a two-day trial and unanimously convicted Ali, 21 of Rose Terrace, Pellon, Halifax of rape.

When Ali appeared for sentence at Leeds Crown Court yesterday, Adrian Strong, representing him, told the court Ali still maintained his account and denied the rape.

At the time he admitted he was in drink and under the influence of cannabis but he had no previous convictions for sex offences or violence and was not seen as a “sexual predator”.,

Even on the complainant’s evidence his actions must have been opportunistic that morning and fortunately had not resulted in serious physical injuries, although the court would clearly take account of psychological damage.

He said Ali denied he had an attitude towards white women since at the time his own girlfriend was white.

Jailing Ali, Judge Rodney Grant said it was a serious offence “in my view aggravated by the fact you first of all used violence and then threatened to kill her in order to gain her compliance with what you required her to do”.

He said in addition to that she had gone to his assistance in the park and “you repaid her kindness by subjecting her to the rape”.

The judge said having read a victim impact statement made by the woman it was clear the attack had had a serious and devastating effect on her which was likely to be long lasting.

He ordered Ali to register his details as a sex offender for life and made a Sexual Offences Prevention Order banning him from any future contact with his victim.