ASYLUM SEEKER WHO OVERSTAYED SEXUALLY ASSAULTED TWO WOMEN WHILE DELIVERING TAKEAWAYS
An asylum seeker who overstayed his leave to stay in the UK sexually assaulted two women as he delivered hot meals to their homes.Shafiullah Rasooli was working illegally when he used his friend’s registration details to deliver groceries and take-aways to people in and around Maidstone.
However, when the 29-year-old delivered to two women in the County Town, he sexually assaulted them by touching their breasts and running his hand over their upper bodies.
The offences were committed on June 26 and July 3.
Rasooli, of St Peter’s Street, Maidstone, who is originally from Afghanistan, was later identified and charged with three counts of sexual assault, two of which are against the same victim, and was remanded in custody.
He denied the allegations and stood trial over the matters at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court on October 1, where he was found guilty of all charges.
Rasooli was remanded in custody and a pre-sentencing report was ordered to be completed on him before he learnt his fate.
But when he appeared at Margate Magistrates’ Court on October 21, the court heard the probation report had not been completed and couldn’t be done until at least December 3, and that he had now spent eleven-and-a-half weeks on remand.
The court heard Rasooli claimed that hugging to the side was a common method of saying goodbye in Afghanistan, but he was convicted and kept in custody while awaiting sentencing.
He was remanded and the case was sent to Canterbury Crown Court for sentencing.
A future hearing date is yet to be fixed.
