Two men jailed for raping 'intoxicated' woman

Two men have been jailed for 11 years each for raping a drunk teenage girl they met in a nightclub.

Refugee Dilgash Adil, 32, plied the 18-year-old with drink until she was "falling down" drunk, and after carrying out a sex assault "invited" his friend, asylum seeker, Diyar Mohammed Abdulsalm, 28, to also rape the teenager, Chester Crown Court heard.

The young woman kept blacking out during the sex attack after going back with the men to Abdulsalm's accommodation in a house of multiple occupancy (HMO) in Winsford, Cheshire, 21 December.

Both men claimed she consented to sex, but were convicted after a trial ended last month. The Syrian nationals must sign the sex offender register indefinitely.

Adil, who was a shepherd in his native Syria before the civil war and was granted refugee status in 2020, was convicted of one count of rape.

Abdulsalm, who claimed asylum in May 2023, with his immigration status still under assessment at the time of the offences, was convicted of two counts of rape.

Judge Simon Berkson told them, through a Kurdish interpreter: "It is quite clear you both took advantage of her vulnerable state.

"She was frankly in no fit state to consent to anything, in and out of consciousness.

"She was targeted, in my judgment, due to her vulnerability in that nightclub."

Berkson said after Adil raped his victim: "You then effectively ushered her into the other room. It appears you effectively invited Abdulsalm to rape her as well."

Earlier, Denise Fitzpatrick, prosecuting, told the court the men met the victim at around 00:30 GMT on 21 December in a club where she was already drinking and out with friends.

Adil bought her more drinks and she got "noticeably" more drunk unable to understand conversation and falling over.

The defendants offered a lift to her and her male friend at the end of the night.

When the friend left the car close to his home they drove off with the woman and passenger door still left open.

Both men then raped her at the HMO where Abdulsalm lived.

At around 06:20 GMT the woman rang her mother "extremely upset" saying she did not know what had happened to her.

Both defendants were arrested later that day.

The woman's victim impact statement said she no longer feels safe, suffers panic attacks, struggles to sleep and is anxious around strangers.

Nicholas Williams, defending Adil, said he had not set out that night with a plan to sexually attack anyone.

Mr Williams added: "He came to the UK for a better life. Things are going to be very different for him."

Outside court, Det Ch Insp Ian Murray of Cheshire Police, said: "Abdulsalm and Adil targeted a young woman who could not consent due to intoxication.

"Although the victim will never be able to forget what happened, I hope these sentences provide her with some closure."

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