A Pakistani delivery driver who raped a vulnerable woman shortly after she left a hospital in West Sussex has been sentenced to eight years and three months in prison.
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Suleman Mukaish, 27, who was living in the UK on a student visa, carried out the attack in a car park near Worthing Hospital on March 11 after approaching the woman, who had attended the hospital while intoxicated, confused and unsteady on her feet, Hove Crown Court heard, cited by BBC.
The court was told that the woman attempted to hold onto a wall as Mukaish grabbed her and forced her onto the bonnet of a car before raping her.
A member of the public found the victim shortly afterwards, and she reported that she had been raped. Police were called, and the woman was able to identify the vehicle involved. Investigators later recovered a hand and fingerprints from the car.
Mukaish was arrested two days after the attack at Gatwick Airport, where he was found with a one-way ticket to Pakistan. He later admitted to rape at an earlier court hearing.
Sentencing him on Tuesday, Judge Christine Henson KC said the victim had been "at her most vulnerable" when she was attacked by a stranger in a car park next to the hospital she had just left.
The judge said the psychological impact on the woman had been severe, adding that she had been unable to return to the hospital because the incident continued to trigger flashbacks.
During the case, Mukaish claimed he had stopped after seeing the woman in difficulty and intended to help her. His defence said he alleged that the woman had asked him for money and that he had offered it on the basis of what he described as an understanding that he could do what he wanted.
However, the defence accepted that the woman lacked the capacity to consent.
The court heard that Mukaish had studied computer science and completed a master's degree. He had a graduate leave to remain in the UK until 2028.
In addition to his prison sentence, Mukaish will remain on an extended licence for a further three years following his release.
