ASYLUM SEEKER FOLLOWS WOMAN HOME BEFORE POUNCING AFTER ASKING FOR SNAPCHAT IN CHILLING SEX ATTACK
An asylum seeker followed a young woman home before sexually assaulting her in chilling attack which left the victim scared to be in her "safe place".Sami Rasouli, 21, is facing deportation back to Iran once he has served half of his two-year sentence for the offences he committed in August last year.
Leeds Crown Court heard on Tuesday, March 17 that Rasouli had spotted the woman as she waited for a bus on Boar Lane and went on to stalk her until she was moments away from her home.
Prosecutor Paul Canfield told the court: "The victim decided to pass the time until the bus arrived and walked around the city centre.
As she returned to the bus stop, the defendant was still there.
Once the bus had arrived, the victim got on with the other passengers.
The defendant waited some time before boarding and sat directly behind the victim, despite there being other seats available.
"The journey took around 45 minutes and she disembarked.
The defendant followed the victim off the bus and then followed her as she made her way home." It was said the woman could feel someone behind her and turned around.
Mr Canfield said: "At this point, the defendant spoke to her for the first time and called her beautiful before asking for her Snapchat.
In an attempt to get him to leave her alone, she gave her Snapchat details.
The defendant then persisted and despite the language barrier, he used Google translate on his phone to speak with her and ask her to go to the park.
"That made her feel uncomfortable and she told him she needed to get home.
As she continued walking, the defendant pursued her and asked her for a kiss.
In response, the victim told him to leave her alone and continued to walk away.
"The defendant ran towards her and grabbed her and pulled her into him to kiss her, but she swerved, resulting in him kissing her cheek." The woman, the court heard, then tried to flee but he grabbed her again, pushing her into a bush and touching her genetalia over her clothing while trying to kiss her.
It was said a neighbour heard a female "screaming" and ran from his house with no shoes on, but the woman had managed to get away and run home.
Her sister spotted her looking "upset" as she arrived home and she told her parents what had happened.
Rasouli was arrested the next day.
He told officers in his interview that he "denied the allegations" and that they would find "no DNA on the complainant." Rasouli's DNA was in fact found on the victim and he admitted two counts of sexual assault on the day of his trial.
A victim personal statement was prepared for the court and read by the prosecutor: "She said she was unable to sleep that night as she feared he may be outside her house waiting for her to come out.
She was scared he would return to continue what he had planned.
She felt frightened even when inside her own home because her home was supposed to be her safe place." The court heard Rasouli had no previous cautions, convictions or reprimands in the UK.
A pre-sentence report had been carried out.
Mitigating, Eleanor Mitten said he claims he was getting that particular bus on the day of the offences to travel to his work in a barber shop.
She said: "He is a young man and was just 20 at the time of these offences.
At the time he was considered an adult by the criminal justice system, but your honour will no doubt bear in mind the age of 18 is not considered a cliff edge for sentencing." "He sought asylum in this country fleeing danger.
He has no family here, his family are in his home country of Iran...He did express remorse in the report when speaking to the author of the pre-sentence report." As he jailed Rasouli for two years, His Honour Judge Marson KC told him: "In my judgement, it is clear you wanted some sexual contact with her, whether she consented or not.
It is also clear there was some planning.
As one might expect, she has suffered psychological harm which still persists today." "The courts must protect women from attacks such as these.
Women should be allowed to walk freely in public without risk of attack...
I hope that you will be deported when this sentence has been served.
But if you are not, you will be released on licence."
