MAN WHO SEXUALLY ASSAULTED A WOMAN IN CHELTENHAM IS SENTENCED
A man aged 20 has been sentenced to 27 months after committing a sexual assault on a woman in Cheltenham last year.Abdolrahman Banafsha, aged 19 at the time, was given the sentence at Bristol Crown Court on November 5.
The court heard that he deliberately targeted a vulnerable woman who was walking home after a night out in Cheltenham, in the early hours of August 31, 2024.
On the first day of his trial, evidence was presented that he walked past the victim, then turned around and followed her distantly.
He managed to catch her after she fell in a side street, helping her to her feet.
She then approached a nearby pub for help with the toilets, but was refused entry because the pub was closed.
Banafsha took her by the arm and walked her back toward his accommodation.
Despite her attempts to walk away and her mention of her boyfriend, he held her tightly.
Once inside the address, after she used the bathroom and tried to find a way out, he pushed her to the ground and sexually assaulted her.
She screamed and kicked him off, and CCTV footage showed her running away in distress.
The police arrested Banafsha later that day, and he has remained in custody since.
The investigation led to charges of attempted rape, and he appeared in court on September 22.
CCTV and a police interview with the victim were shown during the trial.
The following day, Banafsha pleaded guilty to two sexual assault counts, which were accepted by the prosecution, victim, and police.
One count involved touching the victim’s breasts under her clothes, while the other involved contact between her legs over her clothing.
The victim’s statement, read aloud, conveyed her fear, anxiety, and significant life changes post-assault.
She detailed how she now limits her social activities, only going out with her boyfriend, and has changed her appearance and routines, refusing to be the girl she once was.
The probation service assessed him as a high risk to women and the public.
His legal team highlighted that he changed his plea after reviewing CCTV footage and expressed regret that the victim did not ask pub staff for help when seeking the toilets.
Banafsha is an asylum seeker from Iran, arrived in the UK in March 2024 via small boat due to safety threats, and was residing in Home Office accommodation outside Gloucestershire.
He made a weekend trip to Cheltenham to stay with a friend.
Judge Julian Lambert stated that while Banafsha’s plea prevented further cross-examination, the victim endured a traumatic night and a difficult trial process.
Recognizing some predatory behavior displayed by Banafsha during stalking and persistence, the judge sentenced him to 27 months in a young offenders’ institution, to run concurrently, and ordered him to register as a sex offender for ten years, with ongoing address reporting.
Detective Helen Goode noted that Banafsha initially denied any wrongdoing but changed his plea after viewing the CCTV footage of the victim fleeing.
She called on night-time economy staff to be vigilant for behaviors indicating predatory intent, to help prevent crimes.
The police initiative Project Vigilant is designed to identify suspicious, harmful behaviors before a sexual offence occurs, involving specially trained officers.
A Home Office spokesperson confirmed that any foreign national convicted of an offense resulting in a custodial sentence of 12 months or more faces automatic deportation under UK immigration rules.
