MOHAMMED TAHEEN ABRAR CHOWDHURY

At the High Court in Kilmarnock today, Judge Alistair Watson sentenced Mohammad Taheen Abrar Chowdhury to 54 months detention.

A jury had earlier found the offender guilty of charges of rape, attempted rape, abusive behaviour, assault and vandalism.

Chowdhury has also been added to the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and issued with non-harassment orders.

On sentencing, Judge Watson told Chowdhury: “Mohammad Chowdhury you were convicted by the jury on each of charges 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 on the indictment, charges which include the rape of a teenage girl in Dumfries on a date in September or October 2020, and the attempted rape of another teenage girl, also in Dumfries, in February 2021.

In relation to the first of those incidents you had been in a relationship with the girl concerned and, on the date in question, she placed trust in you as she walked with you to an isolated spot where you then abused that trust by seizing hold of her and committing the act of which you have been convicted.

Having committed that crime of rape in the autumn of 2020 you then, only months later, while significantly under the influence of alcohol at a party in a house in the Dumfries area, again took advantage of the trust placed in you by a teenage girl who had gone into a bathroom with you concerned over your welfare due to your condition.

As before you took advantage of this trust in an attempt to commit the crime of rape.

Fortunately on this occasion your victim had the presence of mind and the ability to make her escape from the room before you could succeed.

You were also convicted of charges related to your generally abusive conduct towards the victim in the course of the relationship which had taken place, of an assault on that victim, and in relation to an episode of concerning behaviour towards a young male who was likely to be a witness in these proceedings, this last matter being committed while you were on bail.

These matters, related to your general behaviour over the period are matters of concern, but are significantly less serious than the sexual offences of which you were convicted.

Your denial of guilt was rejected by the jury.

Both in the course of trial and in the course of interview with the appointed social workers you show little sign of empathy towards your victims who have suffered badly at your hands and who will inevitably be deeply affected in the long term by the conduct suffered on the occasions described.

I am bound to have regard in sentencing to the gravity of the crimes of rape and attempted rape and to the level of harm such crimes cause to the victims.

I am also bound to have regard to the fact that your sexual offending occurred on more than one occasion and towards more than one victim.

Ordinarily the seriousness of these matters would require the imposition of a sentence of a very significant length reflecting the need for appropriate punishment, deterrence and management of risk.

In this case however the sentence I impose is very much shorter than that which otherwise would be required of me, having regard to your youth then and indeed now.