A takeaway delivery man posing as a taxi driver abducted and raped a teenager while she was on a night out in Liverpool city centre.
"Remorseless predator" Hameed Naderi snatched the "very vulnerable" student off the streets in the early hours, coaxing her into his car before attacking her in a public place and his own home. But he remains unmoved over his "wicked" actions.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Monday, that the 19-year-old victim took a taxi into town shortly after 12.15am. Michael Scholes, prosecuting, described how she recalled being in a bar on Concert Square, but her next memory was being in the stranger's bedroom with him on top of her and having sex with her.
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The teen's movements in the intervening period were pieced together via CCTV footage and her mobile phone data, which showed that she had left the bar at around 3am and visited a takeaway. She was then denied entry to another bar as she was "completely intoxicated", and Naderi subsequently picked her up in his silver Ford Fiesta on Lime Street - having "led her to believe or allowed her to believe" that he was a taxi driver.
Cameras showed her walking past his car near to Lime Street Station before he walked over to her, linked arms with her and led her into his vehicle before driving off. The 30-year-old took her to his home on Moses Street in Toxteth before taking her to Riverside Drive in Otterspool, where he raped her.
This was only discovered because Naderi later told police he had had sex with her here, the complainant having had no recollection of the incident. After around 45 minutes in this location, they returned to Moses Street where he raped her for a second time.
Naderi dropped the young woman off at her shared accommodation after the assault. One flatmate who saw her arrive home described her as being "out of it, like a zombie".
She later texted another housemate to come into her room and told her what had happened while "hyperventilating". Mr Scholes said: "She was extremely drunk and vulnerable and in no position to resist.
"The defendant took advantage of her. In doing so, the defendant behaved in a sinister, predatory way - quite deliberately targeting this young woman for his own sexual gratification."
In a statement which she read out to the court, the victim described how she had suffered from depression and panic attacks since the incident. She had to quit her part-time job as a result, while the attack also affected her studies.
She said: "I was so worried that he would come into my place of work and I wouldn't know if he was right in front of me. Before the offence, I was happy and loved nothing more than being sociable.
"It became practically impossible to go out of the house. I was too sad to get out of bed.
"I cry because I can't cope with the emotional pain. I know I have a long road ahead of me, but knowing he won't be able to do this to another person makes me happier than anything."
Naderi, who was assisted by an interpreter as he appeared via video link, has no previous convictions. Satpal Roth-Sharma, defending, said her client had been "participating in food deliveries on that evening around the Lime Street area".
He originally came to the UK as an asylum seeker, but will now be deported. Ms Roth-Sharma added: "He has not provided me with any instructions as to why he was hanging around that area - he accepts it is against the law to have sex with someone who does not consent."
Naderi admitted two counts of rape and was jailed for nine and a half years. He was also handed an additional five years on licence, and must sign the sex offenders' register indefinitely.
Sentencing, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said he had "effectively snatched her off the streets". The judge added: "She had been enjoying a night out with friends and had drunk rather too much.
"In a very vulnerable condition, she found herself in the area of Lime Street Station. It may be she was hoping to get a taxi home.
"Instead, she came across you. Whatever my suspicions may be, there is no evidential basis upon which I could conclude that you had deliberately planned to be in that area in the hope of abducting and raping a young woman - but that is what you did.
"It may have been opportunistic. It may have been, when you saw the state she was in, you thought she would be an easy target.
"You approached her and either led her to believe or allowed her to believe you would look after her, whether working as a taxi driver or simply someone doing her a good deed. What you did after that defies belief.
"It must have been obvious to you how vulnerable she was, that she was not in a position to give any meaningful consent to anything that was happening to her. The impact on her has been immense.
"I have no doubt that the events of that night will stay with her for a long time. You have absolutely no insight into the harm you have done or the wickedness of your actions - you have shown no remorse."
Following the sentencing, Merseyside Police's Detective Inspector Leanne Toole said: "I would like to praise the courage and dignity shown by the victim throughout the investigation. Today’s results shows that violence against women and girls will simply not be tolerated and we will work tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice.
"We are committed to protecting victims of sexual offences, and anyone who reports an incident to us will be safeguarded and supported throughout the investigation by specially-trained officers and sexual violence advocates who will provide all the relevant support. Anyone that has been a victim of a sexual offence, is concerned for the safety of someone they know or suspects someone to be engaging in this criminal activity, should come forward and speak to us.
"We have a team of dedicated staff who will expertly and compassionately deal with your reports and we will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice."
Detective Matt Rimmer, who led the force's investigation, added: "While no sentence will repair the damage that Hameed Naderi inflicted his victim that night, I hope today’s sentencing will not only provide her with justice but also encourage other victims to come forward and have the confidence in us as a police force to take reports seriously and ultimately ensure offenders are put before the courts."
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