MOHAMMED RAZA FROM CARNOUSTIE SENTENCED TO FOUR YEARS FOR SEXUAL ASSAULTS ON TEENAGE WAITRESSES

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Carnoustie, Mohammed Raza, a 50-year-old restaurant owner, was officially sentenced to four years in prison at Arbroath Sheriff Court on Tuesday, following his conviction for sexually assaulting six of his teenage waitresses. The allegations against Raza, who operated a restaurant in Carnoustie, stem from incidents that occurred over a period spanning from September 24, 2003, to November 30, 2004.

During the trial, Raza vehemently denied the accusations, dismissing the claims made by the young women as falsehoods. He accused the girls, the youngest of whom was only 14 years old, of conspiring against him and labeled their testimonies as lies. Raza also claimed that the allegations were fabricated as a result of conflicts that arose when he reprimanded the employees at his establishment, the Benazir Restaurant, located on Carnoustie's High Street.

Despite his denials, the jury unanimously found Raza guilty on all eight counts of sexual assault brought against him. The charges detailed multiple instances where Raza allegedly assaulted his teenage employees on various occasions during the specified period. The court heard that Raza exploited his position of authority as an employer to commit these acts, betraying the trust placed in him by his staff.

In delivering the sentence, Sheriff Norrie Stein emphasized the gravity of the crimes, stating, “You have been convicted by the jury of very serious sexual assaults on six young girls. The abuse continued over a year and it appears you do not accept responsibility despite the overwhelming evidence pointing towards you. You abused your position of trust as an employer and were prepared to tell your counsel to accuse the girls of telling lies and that they were entering into a conspiracy against you. We have not heard of the effect of these offences on the girls, but having heard the evidence, they will certainly have to live with the effect of what happened to them for the rest of their lives.”

Following the verdict, Raza’s legal representative, Isabel Walker, described the impact of the conviction on her client’s life. She stated, “He is a long-established businessman of Dundee and because of this conviction, he cannot work in the restaurant trade again or hold a restaurant licence. He will never be in the position of running a business again. He has suffered nothing short of catastrophic results because of this conviction. His life has, in effect, been destroyed.”

The closure of Raza’s restaurant in Carnoustie marks the end of his career in the hospitality industry, and he has been placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely, reflecting the serious nature of his crimes and the lasting consequences he now faces.