ASYLUM SEEKER IS SPARED JAIL OVER SEX ATTACK ON VULNERABLE WOMAN
A woman with a learning disability was subjected to a disturbing sexual assault by an asylum seeker as she was heading to a shop.Jeyhun Zeynalov, aged 34, encountered his victim in the Shelton area of Stoke-on-Trent during her walk to purchase sweets.
He then took her into the grounds of St Mark's Church and assaulted her while she pleaded for him to stop.
He also attempted to unzip her jeans before she fled the scene.
Zeynalov, originally from Azerbaijan, is a father of three, resides in Longton, and previously worked as a journalist in his home country, where he allegedly criticised the ruling party.
He received a custodial sentence that was suspended after pleading guilty at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.
Initially, he denied the sexual assault charge in October 2018, over an incident from the previous summer, but he changed his plea to guilty in March 2021.
While he has no criminal record and is now living apart from his wife whom he was married to for 13 years Zeynalov claimed the victim's encounter was consensual.
Prosecutor Ben Lawrence described how the victim, easily identifiable as having a learning disability, was on her way to buy sweets when Zeynalov appeared to wait for her, attempting to chat her up and asking her out for drinks, which she refused.
After the shop visit, the court said, Zeynalov followed her again, buying a bottle of vodka, and caught up with her outside.
He then led her into church grounds, where he touched her against her will, pulled down her top, and licked her breasts.
She tried to turn away from his attempts to kiss her and to unzip her jeans.
When she refused to participate further, she managed to leave.
Later, she informed her mother of what happened, leading to Zeynalov’s arrest.
In her victim impact statement, she expressed fear about walking alone after the attack and the worry it caused her family, noting her preference for dressing modestly when going out.
Defending, Carl Templar-Vasey emphasised that this appeared to be a one-off incident, highlighting his client’s status as an asylum-seeker who previously worked as a journalist criticising the Azerbaijani government.
He pointed out Zeynalov's current financial stability, his family situation, and recent marriage difficulties.
Judge David Fletcher sentenced him to ten months in prison, suspended for 18 months, along with a requirement for 30 days of rehabilitation, six months of alcohol treatment, and 120 hours of unpaid work.
He also imposed a 10-year registration on the sex offenders' register.
The judge stated that Zeynalov clearly exploited a vulnerable young woman who had obvious difficulties, and that despite her clear disinterest, he pursued and assaulted her in a church grounds after she had tried to walk away.
