MAN SENTENCED FOR THE RAPE OF WOMAN
A man has been sentenced following his conviction for the sexual assault of a woman in a Worthing car park.Suleman Mukaish, aged 27, targeted a vulnerable woman in Lyndhurst Road during the incident.
The survivor, whose identity remains anonymous for legal reasons, received assistance from specially-trained officers.
She reported the assault after a member of the public contacted the police.
Two days after the incident, Mukaish was arrested at London Gatwick Airport as he had bought a one-way ticket out of the country.
He faced charges of rape and admitted the offence during a court hearing on 13 April.
The individual, a Pakistani national studying in the UK and residing on Cambridge Road in Worthing, appeared before Hove Crown Court on 23 June, where he was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison.
According to the court, the attack occurred around 7.30 pm on 11 March.
A witness encountered the victim returning to her vehicle and noted that she had been raped.
“She appeared to be in a distressed state,” said the witness.
Police investigation led to witness statements and analysis of CCTV footage, which confirmed Mukaish's involvement by showing him forcefully taking the victim to the location where the assault happened.
Evidence also included a fingerprint and handprint linking Mukaish to the scene.
