Grooming and Abuse Gangs.....SENTENCING REMARKS OF HIS HONOUR JUDGE PETER ROOK QC

 
This is what should have happened every time, HIS HONOUR JUDGE PETER ROOK QC did an amazing job, but why did others not follow and why did some of the abusers not even get charged? This is an awful thing that has happened and it has put Britain to shame,I like many thought our Police, Government and Judicial System was second to non, clearly this is not the case and it has failed to protect and support vulnerable children who have been abused by these monsters. AKHTAR DOGAR, ANJUM DOGAR, KAMAR JAMIL, MOHAMMED KARRAR, BASSAM KARRAR CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT 27 JUNE 2013 SENTENCING REMARKS OF HIS HONOUR JUDGE PETER ROOK QC 1) You have been found guilty by a jury of a series of sexual crimes of the utmost gravity. The offences involved the exploitation and abuse of young, highly vulnerable girls in the Oxford area over a long period. 2) There are many aggravating features. On occasions the depravity was extreme. You targeted the young girls because they were vulnerable, under age and out of control. They tended to have troubled upbringings and unsettled home lives. You subjected them to repeated abuse. This was a pattern which repeated itself over and over again. With the exception of CD, the offences took place over long periods. 3) Each victim was “groomed”, coerced, and intimidated to facilitate the commission of the offences and to make the likelihood of them ever reporting them remote. This involved planning. You would build up their trust, providing them with drink, drugs and attention which they craved. The effect was that some complainants became addicted to drugs, whilst others had an existing habit hardened. You would develop power over the children which would drive a wedge between them and their parents. If a girl showed reluctance, you would enforce compliance with threats and brutality. In some cases it may not have been in day-to-day control, but you were in a position to enforce your power over them when you wanted to do so. 4) Each of the first four complainants felt both fear and misguided loyalty to you. They were reluctant to tell the authorities what you were doing to them. Police and social services missed tell tale signs. Their sexualized behaviour was misunderstood. 5) No doubt you committed these terrible crimes in the belief that these girls would never be believed. No doubt this encouraged you to carry on your depraved conduct. 2 6) We have heard about a sub-culture in the Cowley Road where there was little moral compass and little or no effort to control. The defence have gone so far as to suggest there was a willful blindness by the authorities. Whether that be right or not, it does not in any way justify your actions. 7) Assad Hussein and Zeshan Ahmed: You have both been found guilty of two serious offences under s.9 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Again your victims were under age vulnerable girls who had been given drink and drugs to make them more malleable as you well knew. I shall sentence you both after sentencing the other five. 8) The complainants: Each of these six young girls have showed enormous courage in coming to the Old Bailey to give evidence (i) knowing that they would be accused of lying (ii) knowing they would have to re-live their ordeals (iii) knowing they have not been believed by the authorities in the past. 9) The jury has found that they came to this court to tell the truth. It is to be hoped that their courage in coming forward to give evidence has not only exposed your activities but will send a message to and act as a deterrent to others who are tempted to act in this way. Furthermore, it is to be hoped that lessons will be learnt and the appropriate authorities will not fail in the future to take appropriate action in the face of evidence of such activities. 10) In my sentencing remarks I propose to give each the victims anonymous initials reflecting the order of the counts on the indictment: AB (1), CD (2), EF (3), GH (4), IJ (5) , KL (6). 11) I am grateful for very full pre-sentence reports upon each defendant. The respective authors have put in a great deal of work to assist me in this sentencing exercise. When dealing with the facts of this case, they did not have the benefit of hearing the evidence. I will sentence only upon the basis of matters borne out by the evidence. 12) I must have regard to the Sexual Offences Definitive Guidelines. I accept, as do all counsel, in respect of the first three defendants and the fifth and sixth defendant, that these cases fall outside the cases envisaged in the guidelines in the sense that the combination of offences takes them above the highest categories in the guidelines. To that extent I will depart from the guidelines. However, I will take into account where present the aggravating and mitigating factors identified in the guideline. I will seek to pass sentences which are proportionate to the recommendations in the guideline, and I will apply the totality principle in all cases. 13) I wish to begin by considering the impact of your actions upon your victims, and their families, as there can be no doubt that you have blighted their lives and robbed them of their adolescence. There can be no doubt that your activities have caused them immense psychological harm. In some instances you have put their parents through many days of torment and distress. 3 14) AB: At various stages she was the victim of the activities of three of you - Akhtar Dogar, Anjum Dogar, Kamar Jamil. I have read victim statements from AB’s parents, and a victim personal statement from AB herself. AB writes that since the abuse began she has suffered ongoing emotional and psychological issues. She has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Distress Disorder, and suffers from bouts of anxiety and depression as a result of this. She suffers from self-loathing. She has difficulties in relationships. She has completely lost self-confidence. She missed out on much of her education from the start of secondary school when she had shown so much early potential. It is a great credit to her that notwithstanding these setbacks, she has six-seven years afterwards managed to have successful jobs. 15) Her parents’ statements, and their evidence during the trial, have revealed the devastating effect your actions have had on the family. How the parents looked on as their bright intelligent loving open little girl turned into a sullen, secretive, evasive, and frightened girl who lost all ambition for the future. Inevitably they have feelings of anger and guilt. As a result of your actions, their daughter has been changed forever. You put not just AB but her family through years of sheer torture depriving AB of her teenager years. Instead of enjoying a proper family life, they went through years of distress, upset, anger, fear and helplessness. Her parents were made to feel powerless whilst their child had become entangled in something truly evil. They recognise that it was your actions that caused this. However, it is hardly surprising that they feel that these emotions were compounded by failures within the social care system, the criminal justice system and the police service. As a family they felt isolated even from their own extended family. 16) EF:At various stages she was the victim of the activities of four of you - Akhtar Dogar, Anjum Dogar, Mohammed Karrar, and Bassam Karrar. I have read a victim personal statement from EF’s mother. She says that she does not think her daughter will ever get over it. She lost half her childhood and almost all of her secondary education as a result of the abuse she suffered. She has totally changed. She is now ultra fearful and cautious and is unable to enjoy the sorts of activities a young person of her age should be able to. She suffers from nightmares, panic attacks and flash backs and is being treated for depression. Despite being the victim she carries with her a great burden of shame and embarrassment about what happened. Her courage in giving evidence in this case and having to re-live experiences made her so anxious that she had to give up her college course. 17) Her mother was working hard to establish a real bond and win her trust. She did not know she would be struggling against the influence of a gang who used every tactic to turn her against her mother to the extent that EF would be seriously violent towards her if she tried to stand between her and them. 18) Inevitably your activities took its toll upon her mother. Hunting the streets for her night after night and driving all over southern England to pick her up when she surfaced from the latest trafficking episode took its toll upon her mother emotionally and physically. Threats meant that her mother had to sell their home and flee from Oxford. 4 19) AKHTAR DOGAR, ANJUM DOGAR, KAMAR JAMIL: Akhtar Dogar, Anjum Dogar Your depraved conduct involved the brutal sexual exploitation of three young vulnerable girls. On occasions, you Akhtar Dogar and Anjum Dogar acted with great brutality.Kamar Jamil You were involved in the exploitation of 2 of those girls. AB: You Akhtar Dogar have been convicted of six counts against AB - one of vaginal rape, two of oral rape, one of anal rape, one of conspiracy to rape, one of arranging child prostitution. You Anjum Dogar, you have been convicted of four counts against AB – one count of oral, one of vaginal rape, one of conspiracy to rape, and one of arranging child prostitution. You, Kamar Jamil, have been convicted of five counts against AB – one of vaginal rape, two of oral rape, one of conspiracy to rape, and one of arranging child prostitution. 20) You robbed AB of her early teenage years. You started to abuse her from the time she was 13. It is true that she was already absconding and had take drugs. You took it to a different level. You targeted her. She was highly vulnerable and easy prey for you. You groomed her with drink, drugs, trinkets and attention. You well knew her age. You made her feel that she had to comply with your wishes. To enforce your demands, you told her that you’d come and burn her house down, and burn her little brother. She believed you and it was always in the back of her mind. 21) Quite apart from using her for your own sexual self-gratification, you coerced her into providing sex to vast numbers of strangers. Up to four or five men would be invited to addresses so they could have sex with her. Men were brought from Bradford, Leeds, Slough and London. Sometimes the sex would be photographed no doubt to lure more customers. Men would say they had come a long way to see her. AB describes you and the men who would come as having a “pack mentality.” You were oblivious as to what was happening to her. She became emotionally and physically exhausted. Threats were made to kill her. Your only concerns were your own self-gratification and the satisfaction of your customers so you could achieve commercial gain from arranging for others to abuse her. If she resisted, she would be coerced. Customers would become angry. For instance if oral sex was required, her head would be pushed down, her hair pulled and she would be slapped. Strangers would burn her with cigarettes. A stranger almost throttled her. One deliberately scratched her vagina with his nails. One inserted a hairbrush into her vagina. 22) One of the rapes of which you have all three been convicted relates to the terrifying ordeal to which you subjected AB at Shotover Woods [Count 10]. This episode provides a graphic example of how you would react if she failed to comply. AB pretended she had a period to avoid sex. You, Akhtar, reacted by putting your hand down her trousers so as to check whether this was true. You Akhtar, Anjum and Kamar Jamil then embarked upon a wicked plan to punish her for lying. At night you took her to a remote car park up a hill near Shotover Woods. It was pitch black. You ignored her pleading. You made her get down to her knees and forced her to give each of you oral sex. You subjected her to 5 verbal abuse telling her that she knew what they do to pigs, and they were going to cut her throat if she did not comply.” It is a clear inference that you had invited others to join you. Another car arrived within 10 to 15 minutes. There were four men in that car. She was made to give oral sex to all four. She said they were all encouraging each other. You then abandoned her. Ironically, so pitiful was the state in which you left her, she had to contact you as she felt there was no one else she could turn to in the circumstances. 23) Your conduct continued until she was 15 over a period of about two years with breaks when she was placed out of the county in the care system. Her mother describes how by that time there was not much left of her apart from aggression. You took her soul. She felt as though it had been ripped out. She hated herself at the time. You put her parents through years of sheer torture. 24) CD: AKHTAR DOGAR, ANJUM DOGAR, KAMAR JAMIL You have all been convicted of one count of conspiracy to rape (Count 12) which relates to providing CD for penetrative sex with others. You Akhtar Dogar and Anjum Dogar have each been convicted of separate counts involving oral rapes by each of you upon CD (Count 12). You Kamar Jamil apart from conspiracy to rape and two counts of rape relating to same episode when you with others took CD by car to near a lake (Counts 11A, 11B). 25) CD was a very shy young girl looked her young age. She was emotionally very immature. She was extremely vulnerable. She was introduced to you by AB, and you immediately exploited her. All three of you would take CD to various places. Sometimes you would invite other men to come and have sex with her. You would get her drunk before the men had sex with her. True the offending was shorter than in other cases and lasted less than seven weeks over the late summer of 2006. Nevertheless I regard this sexual exploitation as very grave. 25) You,Akhtar, on one occasion forced her to have sex with you (Count 14). You Anjum pressurized her into giving you oral sex pulling her head down (Count 15). You, Akhtar, changed from presenting as “nice “ to becoming “threatening”, grabbing, pulling her, and threatening her with a gun. You, Anjum, also changed from presenting as “nice”to becoming threatening saying he had a “gun.” You Kamar Jamil with another man took CD in a car to a quiet place near a lake where you raped her first orally and then vaginally. You grabbed her ponytail and forced her head onto your penis. You then raped her vaginally. She felt she had no choice with two men in a car in a remote place. You fully participated in these offences. However, I accept from what CD said about you, your offences against her were not accompanied by same brutality as in the case of your co-defendants. 26) EF: Akhtar Dogar, Anjum Dogar: You have been convicted of one count of conspiracy to rape, one of trafficking and one of arranging child prostitution (Counts 16, 18, 19). Akhtar Dogar: on three occasions, you both took EF to the Nanford Guest House to provide sex to men who were strangers to her. You both groomed her for the task by plying her with drugs. No doubt theses strangers were your customers who were paying you for providing EF. 6 Anjum Dogar, you were acting with your brother on two occasions. On a fourth occasion, acting together, you both rang EF at night summoning her into your car where you forced her to give oral sex to one of, your customers by pulling her head down onto his penis. You AnjumDogar subjercted her to degrading and humiliating verbal abuse at the same time. 27) Akhtar Dogar, you are now aged 29. I accept that you have no previous convictions for sexual offences. I have read references from those who speak well of you. Anjum Dogar, you are now aged 31. Again I accept that you have no previous convictions for sexual offences. First, I have to consider on the information before me whether each of you are dangerous. In particular I have to decide whether there is a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm by the commission by you of further specified offences.S.225(1) (b) CJA 2003. 28) I have considered cumulatively (i) the young age of your three victims and their vulnerability; (ii) the manner in which they were targeted, groomed and abused; (iii) the number of strangers who you arranged to come and have sex with them and the depraved sex that occurred on occasions; (iv) the repeated abuse and the length of time during which it occurred , particularly in the case of AB; (v) the serious psychological harm your actions have caused. I have read the pre-sentence reports. The authors are of the clear view that you do represent such a risk. I have made an allowance for the fact that the authors have not heard the evidence. However, I have no doubt given this catalogue of offending over a protracted period as well as evidence of your continued preoccupation with young girls after the time of these offences, that you do represent such a risk, and that risk will continue for many years. It is impossible at this stage to say how long you will remain dangerous. I do not consider that a determinate sentence or an extended sentence combined with a SOPO would eliminate or sufficiently reduce the risk, or sufficiently mark the exceptional gravity of this case. . 29) Second, I MUST impose a sentence for imprisonment for life if I consider that the seriousness of the offence, or of the offence and one of more offences associated with it, is such as to justify the imposition of a sentence of imprisonment for life. S. 225(2)(b) CJA 2003. 30) I have come to that conclusion without hesitation in both your cases. The three conspiracies to rape against separate victims (Counts 3, 12 and 16) were exceptionally grave crimes. Count 10 (Shotover Woods) was an offence involving extreme depravity. 31) In any event, I have concluded your offending is particularly grave and your culpability is particularly high. It follows that, in my judgement, in any event, the seriousness is such that a life sentence would have a denunciatory value reflecting of public abhorrence for the crime. 7 32) The sentences are Akhtar Dogar: Counts 3, 12, and 16 the conspiracies to rape: Life imprisonment with a minimum sentence of 17 years. (From this will be deducted the time you have already spent in custody. 460 days) Count 10: 20 years imprisonment (concurrent) Counts 2, 7, 8, 14 : 10 years imprisonment (concurrent). Counts 6, 18, 19: 8 years imprisonment (concurrent). 33) The totality of your offending is reflected in the minimum sentences that I have passed. To avoid any misunderstanding, let me make it clear that the minimum sentence of 17 years is the equivalent of determinate sentences of 34 years. Even after serving the minimum sentence, you will only be released if the Parole Board considers that it is safe to do so. 34) Looking at the overall position as to your culpability and the seriousness of the offences, I see no reason to distinguish between Akhtar Dogar and his older brother Anjum Dogar. The sentences are Anjum Dogar: Counts 3, 12, 16 - the conspiracies to rape: Life imprisonment with a minimum sentence of 17 years. This minimum sentence reflects your overall criminality. It is the equivalent of 34 years determinate imprisonment. The time you have spent already in custody will be deducted from that minimum sentence. It is only after you have served that minimum sentence that the Parole Board will be entitled to consider whether it is safe to release you. All other sentences will be concurrent to the life sentences. Counts 2, 15: 10 years imprisonment (concurrent). Count 10: 20 years imprisonment (concurrent), Counts 6, 18, 19: 8 years imprisonment (concurrent). 35) Kamar Jamil: Miss O’Neill QC, on your behalf, has submitted in respect of the offences that (i) you were more of a follower than a prime mover; (ii) your involvement mat have arisen particularly because you had access to vehicles; (iii) according to CD at least, your conduct did not become brutal; (iv) you voluntarily desisted in September 2006; (v) in your cases there were two victims as opposed to three victims in respect of the Dogars. 36) As to your personal mitigation, she has invited me to take account of fact that (i) you have produced numerous positive references from family and friends; (ii) you are a devoted husband and father of three children. It is clear to me that there was a significant change in your lifestyle in the years before your arrest for this matter, and you have been taking your family responsibilities very seriously. 37) It is accepted that you were not mentally ill at the time of the offences. However your mental condition has deteriorated. I have had the benefit of reading a psychological report prepared immediately before you gave evidence at your trial and a recent psychiatric report prepared by Dr Cumming at Belmarsh which indicates that you have developed psychotic symptoms and there is evidence of a complex set of delusionary beliefs. Your illness will be managed within the custodial setting. 38) The author of the pre-sentence of the report assesses you as posing a high risk of serious harm to female children aged 11 to 16. I accept that you do pose a significant risk 8 of this at this stage. However, having considered all the information about you, I am not in a position to say that you would necessarily pose such a significant risk if there was a sentencing package in your case of an extended sentence and the SOPO that has been drafted. 39) I now come to consider whether in your case the case is of such exceptional gravity, it must be marked by a life sentence. I accept that you were a follower rather than a leader. The leadership role was played by the Dogar brothers. I accept that your conduct was not marked with same brutality. There were two victims rather than three. There is no evidence of criminal conduct towards either girl after September 2006. 40) Even taking all these matters into account, I consider your conduct was such as to warrant a life sentence. You willingly participated in the two conspiracies to rape. In respect of AB, the conspiracy involved AB being provided to large numbers of strangers for penetrative sex. These episodes lasted the best part of two years. You were fully participating in the group rape at Shotover designed to humiliate AB. It follows that in your case, the conspiracies to rape will attract life sentences. The minimum term will reflect your lesser role. 41) The sentences are: Counts 3 and 12: Life imprisonment with a minimum sentence of 12 years. All other sentences will be concurrent to the life imprisonment. The minimum term reflects the totality of your offending. It is the equivalent to a determinate term of 24 years. It is only after you have served that time that the Parole Board will be entitled to release you if they believe it is safe to do so. Count 10: 16 years. Counts 2, 9, 11A, 11B: 10 years. Count s 6 and 13: 8 years. Such time as you have spent in custody (460 days) will be deducted from the minimum term. (42) MOHAMMED KARRAR AND BASSAM KARRAR: You, Mohammed Karrar, have been convicted of two very serious offences against EF – conspiracy to rape her which involved arranging for men to come and rape her (Count 20) and trafficking her (Count 21). (43) EF had a particularly disrupted childhood having been placed with various foster parents. You met her when she was under 13. You knew her true age. You groomed her so that you would have a hold over her. Wickedly, you turned against her mother. You got her hooked on drugs providing cannabis and cocaine. You had a complete disregard for her own welfare and treated her as if she was a commodity. From the time when EF was 13 you started selling her to other men for sex. To use her words this happened “loads of times” over the next few years. Sometimes you would take photos presumably to entice further customers. Clearly it was a commercial operation. You would actually ask customers whether they were satisfied. 9 44) When she was 14 or 15, you started to instruct her to go to London. You’d make her meet men at Paddington station and provide them with sex. This happened on five or six occasions. 45) Even at the end of 2009 / 2010 you were trying to lure EF to so-called parties where no doubt you wished her to provide sexual services to other men. When she refused, you threatened both EF and her mother. You terrified them. Over the phone you threatened to kill them. EF was not ready then to expose what you had been doing to her over the years, but at least the police were contacted to prevent this frightening harassment. 46) You, Bassam Karrar, were not involved in the trafficking of EF. However have been convicted of a violent rape of EP on a specific occasion at the Nanford House (Count 22). 47) In November 2006 when she was 14 you took her to Nanford House for sex. She agreed. There came a time she wanted to go. However after taking cocaine, you would not let her go. She made it very clear she wanted to go home. Her mother would be worried. You insisted on further sex knowing that she was no longer consenting. You subjected her to a prolonged assault involving sexual and physical violence, degradation and humiliation. In particular, you became very angry. You jumped on top of her, pulled her hair, and forced her head onto your penis. You penetrated her vagina twice and ejaculated. At one stage, she could not breathe because your hands were tight around her neck and she felt that she was being throttled. You told her you were going to kill her. You also pushed her in the shower and urinated upon her. No doubt because you wanted to punish her and humiliate her. 48) Mohammed Karrar, Bassam Karrar: I now come to the dreadful offences you committed as against GH. GH (4): You, Mohammed Karrar, have been convicted of no less than 16 offences against GH. These include nine counts when she was under 13, six counts when she was well under 16, and one count when she was 17 and 18. Under 13 COUNT 23 RAPE OF A CHILD under 13 vaginal specimen COUNT 24 Using an instrument with intent to procure a miscarriage COUNT 25 RAPE anal specimen COUNT 26 RAPE OF A CHILD under 13 Vaginal rape by other men who came to the flat COUNT 27 Assault of a child under 13 Insertion of handle of baseball bat COUNT 30 RAPE of a child under 13 High Wycombe and other places anal rape specimen count COUNT 31 CONSPIRACY TO RAPE A CHILD under 13 Agreement with Bassam that GH be taken to various houses to be raped by various men COUNT 32 ARRANGING CHILD PROSTITUTION with Bassam COUNT 33 TRAFFICKING with Bassam 11 – 15. 10 13 or over COUNT 28 CONSPIRACY TO RAPE Spit roasting COUNT 35 CONSPIRACY TO RAPE Agreement with Bassam that GH be taken to various houses and locations COUNT 36 ARRANGING CHILD PROSTITUTION 13,14, 15 with Bassam COUNT 37 RAPE Vaginal specimen COUNT 38 RAPE Anal specimen COUNT 40 Supply controlled drug class A COUNT 50 RAPE in 2011 when GH 17/18 49) Bassam Karrar, over and above the serious offence you committed against EF, you yourself, often acting with your older brother committed numerous offences upon GH: Three offences when she was under 13. COUNT 29 Rape of a child under 13 specimen vaginal COUNT 31 Conspiracy to rape a child under 13 - with Mohammed taken to locations for sex with other men COUNT 32 Arranging child prostitution - with Mohammed Two offences where her age is unclear, and I must assume she was at : COUNT 33 Trafficking - with Mohammed 11 – 15 ) COUNT 28 Conspiracy to rape Spit roasting age unclear ) Three offences when she was 13 or over: COUNT 35 Conspiracy to rape when J 13,14, 15 - with Mohammed COUNT 36 Arranging child prostitution 13,14,15 COUNT 39 Rape when GH 13, 14, 15 specimen count 50) You, Mohammed Karrar, were introduced to GH when she was only 11. It is a clear from the video clip we have seen, she was a small girl at the age of 12. You were in your thirties. [You knew that both her parents had profound disabilities, and at a very early age she shouldered a huge responsibility towards her parents. You would go to her home and smoke joints with her father who no doubt would have had no idea what you were doing to his daughter, including having sex with her at his home.] You anally raped her when she was 11. After a period of months when you groomed her, you were having regular oral, vaginal and anal sex with her. You duped her by telling her that you’d take her to Saudia Arabia and marry her when she was 15. She became pregnant. Your reaction was to become angry with her and slap her. You took her to Reading so that an illegal abortion could be performed upon her at an underground so-called clinic. Clearly this was highly dangerous to her health. As always you had no regard to her welfare and the damage you were causing her. She became obsessed with you, and you exploited her. 51) There came at time before she was 13 that both of you Mohammed and Bassam Karrar started to bring strangers to have sex with her. You Bassam would organise the sessions. Mohammed was closely involved and would be at most of these sessions. These 11 occasions happened many times. You would make her act as a hostess at sex parties no doubt charging for her services. If she did not want to have sex with the men, you both would get angry. She had to endure depraved sexual demands including the acting out of weird sex fantasies, and the insertion of objects in her vagina. If she kicked out, she would be restrained. If she said that she did not have sex. She said “Mo and Bassam would get mad at me.” You, Mohammed, made videos of GH performing sex acts no doubt with a view to selling her sexual services. 51) You, Mohammed Karrar, took her to various places to provide sex to others – a hotel in Bournemouth, a flat near a school in Oxford. She was taken to High Wycombe for sex on a regular basis. Both of you took her to High Wycombe for sex with others. Bassam took her two or three times without Mohammed. Sometimes there were three or four men at a session. Sometimes as many as nine or ten. GH thought that Bassam was taking lots of phone calls in relation to the Wycombe trips where there would be sex acts and sexual fantasies acted upon. 52) GH would hear both Mohammed and Bassam speaking to customers over the phone before going to the Nanford for sex. She was taken to Nanford House over 50 times. The charge would vary according to the sex act you’d make her perform. Mainly Mohammed would take her, but Bassam took her more than a couple of times. Sometimes she would be to taken to the Nanford twice or three times a week. 53) You, Mohammed Karrar, prepared her for gang anal rape by using a pump to expand her anal passage. You subjected her to a gang rape by five or six men (count 30). At one point she had four men inside her. A red ball was placed in her mouth to keep her quiet. Not only were you both involved in the commercial sexual exploitation of GH, you also used her for your own self-gratification. You both raped her when she was under 13. When she was very young, although it is not clear whether she was under 13, you both raped her at the same time (oral and vaginal/anal). It happened on more than one occasion (Count 28). 54) Mohammed Karrar, on one occasion when GH was 12, after raping her, she threatened you with your lock knife. Your reaction was to pick up a baseball bat with a silver metal handle, strike her on the head with it, and then insert the baseball bat inside her vagina. You treated her as if she was your commodity. You branded her (with your initial near her anal passage) using a hot hair pin. If GH did not comply with your wishes, if you were not with other people, you would lose your temper with her. As part of the grooming, you would provide her with crack cocaine and you injected GH with heroin on numerous occasions (Count 40). 55) When she was not prepared to participate any more, you would issue terrible threats. Your activities took a heavy toll upon her both physically and mentally. In late 2010/2011 she phoned you. You invited her to come and see you. You said “We’ll sort it and make it better.” Once there, you had an argument, and to exert your power and punish her, you pulled down her trousers and raped her. 12 56) Mohammed Karrar: I take into account that you have no previous convictions for sexual offences. However, these are very grave offences. You exhibited exceptional depravity both for your own sexual gratification and for your own commercial operations. Many of your activities involved planning. The sufferings of your two young vulnerable victims were extreme, and over a long period. I consider on all the information before me, including the pre-sentence report, that you do and will continue to represent a high risk of causing serious harm to young girls by the commission of further specified offences. Your offences do fall into the category where only a life sentence can be justified. 57) Sentence: Counts 20, 31, 35: Life with a minimum term of 20 years imprisonment (concurrent.) That 20 years reflects the total criminality involved. It is the equivalent of a determinate sentence of 40 years. You will serve the minimum sentence less the time you have already spent in custody. It is only then that the Parole Board will be entitled to consider whether it is safe for you to be released. The sentences on the other counts will all be concurrent to the life sentence: Counts 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30,: 20 years Counts 37, 38 and 50: 17 years Counts 21,, ,24, , 32, 33, 36 and 40: 10 years. 58) BASSAM KARRAR: You have no conviction for sexual offences and I take that into account. However your offending involves two victims. Whilst you were not involved in the trafficking of EF, you carried out a brutal and violent rape upon her when she was only 14 and very vulnerable and you sought to humiliate her. On its own that would attract a sentence of 17 years imprisonment following the guidelines. 59) You were also well involved in both organising the commercial exploitation of GH from when she was under 13, and you used her for your own sexual gratification by making her perform grotesque sex acts such as is exhibited by count 28. I have to consider whether you meet the dangerousness criteria. I agree with the conclusion of the author of the pre-sentence report, and upon all the material before, principally the evidence in this long trial, you do pose a significant risk of serious harm to young girls from the commission of further offences. Furthermore, looking at your offending, I am unable to say how long that risk will continue. I cannot say that it will be sufficiently reduced by the imposition of an extended sentence combined with a SPO. In my view Counts 31 and 35 are offences of truly exceptional gravity, and your overall offending does fall into the category where only a life sentence can be justified. . 60) The sentences of the court are: Counts 31, 35: Life sentence with a minimum term of 15 years. That is equivalent to a determinate sentence of 30 years. It means you will have to serve that minimum sentence less the time you have spent in custody.( 460 days). Only then will the Parole Board entitled to consider whether it is safe to release you.   All other sentences are concurrent with the life sentences.: 13 Counts 22, 29, 39: 17 years Counts 28, 32: 20 years. Count 33, 36 10 years 61) ASSAD HUSSAIN: you have been convicted of two offences of sexual activity with a child under 16. There were two separate victims spanning a period of six to seven years: Count 4 sexual activity with a child, AB; Count 47 sexual activity with a child IJ. You are now aged 32. I accept that you were not an organiser. You exploited young girls for your own sexual gratification. 62) In my view you have a predatory sexual interest in young girls, and your actions show a callous disregard for the consequences of your actions. In respect of AB, during the period when she was being groomed and coerced into performing a series of violent and degrading sexual assaults at the hands of other men at pre-arranged events, you came to one of these events, and took advantage of AB and had vaginal sex with her. There are the following aggravating features. The nature of circumstances that led to AB being available for sex with you cannot have escaped your notice, although I accept that you had no hand in organising or arranging the event. You played no part in the corruption of AB, and there is no evidence that you paid for sex. In your case, there was no violence. However, there is a clear inference from the evidence that you would have been aware that AB was being passed around between men for sex. Since this was a specimen count, I sentence you on the basis that you had sex with her on just the one occasion. Of course, I accept the jury’s verdict that you may have reasonably believed she was consenting. 63) I am quite satisfied that you attended the event in order to have sex with her. You well knew (i) she was under 16; (ii) she was being groomed to provide sex to you and others; and (iii) she was being plied with alcohol and drugs to achieve that object. It follows that I regard this as an extremely serious example of this offence. You would have been at least ten years older than her. 64) Some years later between July 2011 and December 2011, you took advantage of IJ, just 14 yrs old and approximately 16 years younger than you. It would have been very clear that IJ, whatever the position was in respect of her physical maturity, was emotionally very immature. She was out of control and easily manipulated when under the influence of alcohol and drugs. During that weekend when she was back on Oxford to see her mother before Christmas. You took advantage of her and had vaginal sexual intercourse with her. You well knew that she was under age, and heavily under the influence of alcohol and drugs. No doubt because of the drugs and alcohol she has little or no recollection of the events of that weekend. No doubt you felt there was no chance that this would come to the notice of the authorities. The discovery of your DNA led to your apprehension. 65) You appear unable to understand the exploitative nature of your relationship with IJ. I agree with the author of the pre-sentence report. You had sex with each of these young girls. Your actions will have compounded the harmful and damaging impact sexual abuse has had on their lives. 14 66) I take into account that you have no history of sexual offending. Although you are not a person of previous good character, your convictions are of a different nature and have little or no relevance in the context of this case. I have regard to your personal circumstances. In particular you and your wife have lost two children because of a congenital defect. Sarah West, the author of the pre-sentence report, has concluded that you do pose a high risk of harm to females aged 12 to 16, presenting a medium risk likelihood of re-offending in this way. In the light of your roles in these offences, I am not able to say you represent a significant risk of serious harm to the public from the commission of specified offences. It follows that I conclude that the dangerousness criteria are not met. 67) Following the guidelines the appropriate starting point for an offence of this nature under s.9 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 is four years. . As I have indicated that in respect of Count 4, there are aggravating features, not least your knowledge of the exploitative context and the involvement of other men. The sentence of this court is five years imprisonment. 68) In respect of Count 47, this a further serious offence since you took advantage of a immature young girl over 10 years younger than you who would have been under the influence of alcohol. I accept the sexual activity was consensual, and there was no corruption. I take into account the principle of totality. The sentence is two years imprisonment to run consecutively to the sentence in respect of Count 4. It follows that the total sentence is one of seven years, You will serve half and be on licence for the remainder of your sentence. I impose a SOPO in the terms of the draft order. It will be for an indefinite period. 69) ZEESHAN AHMED: you have been convicted of two offences of sexual activity with a child under 16: Count 45, a specimen count in respect of vaginal intercourse on a number of occasions with IJ when she under 16. It is accepted that sex took place between five and ten occasions; and Count 49 vaginal intercourse with KL when she was aged 15. 70) The jury has rejected your defence that you reasonably believed these girls were under 16 at the time. I have no doubt that you had and have a predatory sexual interest in young girls. You believed that somehow you had an entitlement to have your sexual needs met. You are now aged 28. At the time you were over ten years older than the girls you preyed upon. 71) You first contacted IJ pretending to be someone else. You adopted various grooming strategies. You enticed her to your address. You would have been aware that she was emotionally immature and highly vulnerable to abuse. You were, at the very least, aware that at your premises IJ would have access to alcohol, cannabis and cocaine. You knew that this would have a disinhibiting effect upon her which would facilitate your abuse of her. You had no regard whatsoever to the effect your actions would have upon her. No 15 doubt you thought that IJ would not go to the authorities, and, even if she did, she would not be believed. Your DNA was found on her clothing leading to your apprehension. 72) During this period you also took advantage of KL when she was under the influence of drink. You well knew her age as she had told you when she was 14. I do not accept that there was any genuine friendship between you. You were manipulating the situation grooming her for your own sexual self-gratification without any thought as to the effect upon her. 73) I take into account (i) the fact that there came a time when you ceased contact with IJ; (ii) you have no previous convictions for sexual offences; (ii) you have mental health issues and may have suffered from clinical depression. 74) The author of the pre-sentence report Corina Johnson states that your attitudes towards substance misuse, sexual behaviour and gratification are all areas of concern. She is of the view that you present a high risk of serious harm to children (specifically females between the ages of 13-16). On the basis of the information before me (specifically the nature of your offending), I have no doubt that you do pose a significant risk in the future of serious harm to members of the public from the commission of specified offences. I need to consider whether there are interventions which could serve to reduce and/ or eliminate that risk. 74) Corina Johnson has assessed that in retrospect, you do have an understanding of your sexual behaviour, and you could respond positively to a Sex Offender Treatment programme. It follows that sentencing package with a SOPO can be imposed with appropriate prohibitions in order to reduce the risk you pose. It follows I do not consider it necessary to pass an extended sentence in your case. 75) Nevertheless these are serious matters. The starting point following the Guidelines is four years imprisonment. In respect of Count 45 (IJ), there are aggravating features. There were at least five occasions. This was not a genuine relationship. It was exploitation of a very immature young girl addicted to drink and drugs at a very young age. The sentence is five years imprisonment. As for Count 49(KL), I accept that she was 15 at the time and there no violence. However, you knew her age, She had told you. She was heavily under the influence of drink at the time, I cannot accede to your counsel’s invitation to pass a concurrent sentence, but I take into account the principle of totality. The sentence of the court is two years imprisonment to run consecutively to Count 44 making seven years in all. You will serve half this sentence. You will be on licence for the remainder. I impose a SOPO for an indefinite period in the terms of the draft order that has been placed before me. 78, In respect of all defendants there will be notification requirements for an indefinite period. The disclosure and barring service applies in all cases which will prevent you from ever working with children. 16 79. I wish to pay tribute to all 6 complainants and the members of their families who had to go through the ordeal of giving evidence in this long and difficult trial. 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