MAN WITH AMBITIONS TO BECOME MMA FIGHTER JAILED FOR RAPE
AN aspiring MMA fighter who filmed himself raping a teenager in the back of his car has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years at Bradford Crown Court.Prosecuting barrister Brian Russell said Haziq Mahmood, now 22, drove his victim to a secluded spot in Bradford in the early hours of the morning after messaging her on Snapchat the previous week and arranging to meet up.
In a statement read to the court on her behalf, the victim said her life had changed after the rape and she had been left feeling anxious and stressed.
Mahmood was convicted in February by a jury of rape and three counts of sexual activity with a child.
Mitigating, Andrea Parnham said Mahmood had deleted the video of the rape “almost immediately” and that there was no evidence that it was shared or shown to anybody.
She said he had received several references as to his positive character as “a caring, loving, and respectful young man”.
The court heard that Mahmood had ambitions to become an MMA fighter and had dedicated himself to training and fitness.
Mrs Parnham said Mahmood’s conduct in custody whilst on remand had been “exemplary”.
He was said to have been an excellent student at school, achieving high grades, and had no previous convictions.
Jailing Mahmood, of North Street in Sheepscar, Leeds, Mr Recorder Ashley Serr said at no material time did he believe his victim was 16 or over.
He described Mahmood as “an older virtual stranger” and that the offending was planned.
He said: “This meeting took place at 2am … and it’s clear that in your mind the purpose of the meeting was to engage in sexual activity with [the victim].
Rather than simply drive over to the complainant’s house in your own vehicle, you got your friend … to drive you in his car then drive you and her back to near your house where you picked up your car and drove the complainant alone.
This showed in my view foresight and an element of planning on your part.” He added: “The video which you took is distressing and clearly showed her frightened – asking you to stop the sex [and] not stop the video as you alleged.
Jailing Mahmood for eight years and six months, Recorder Serr said he would serve two-thirds in custody and the remainder on licence.
He will have to register as a sex offender for life.
