A man who raped a woman and a young boy and attempted to rape a girl has been handed an extended sentence as an offender of particular concern.
The offences
Talha Ahmadzai, 33, of Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, orally raped a schoolboy, attempted to orally rape a schoolgirl, and assaulted and repeatedly raped a woman. All the offences took place in Wales last year.
Ahmadzai, who came to the UK as a refugee from Afghanistan, had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of rape of a woman, rape of a boy under 13, attempted rape of a girl under 13, causing a child to watch a sexual act, and assault by beating. He has no previous convictions.
Arrest and response
When he was arrested, the 33-year-old claimed the allegations had been “fabricated” and during one interview told officers: “Women won’t have sex without force.”
He also questioned the authority of the courts to try him, stating the things he had been accused of “were not offences in his country”.
Background
Swansea Crown Court heard that before arriving in the UK, Ahmadzai had been diagnosed with what a fellow Afghan described as “sexual illness” and would “masturbate every hour”.
Mitigation
David Singh, representing Ahmadzai, accepted his client had committed “appalling offences of the most serious type” and that a lengthy sentence was inevitable. He said his client’s “descent into this appalling offending” appeared to follow a “psychotic episode” for which he had since received treatment and medication.
Sentencing
Judge Huw Rees described Ahmadzai’s actions as a “catalogue of abhorrent offending of the utmost seriousness”. He said it was clear the defendant had been “sexually preoccupied for a long time” and held “entrenched views” rooted in his background and culture.
The judge noted a pre-sentence report concluded that with his “limited understanding of attitudes and mores in this country”, Ahmadzai poses a high risk to the public.
Ahmadzai, who appeared in the dock from a psychiatric hospital, was given a 21-year-and-seven-month sentence as an offender of particular concern – comprising 19 years and seven months in custody followed by a two-year licence period.
He must serve two-thirds of the custodial element before he can apply for release, with the Parole Board to determine whether he is safe to be let out.
The judge said he would require the prosecution to refer the case to the Home Office so consideration could be given to Ahmadzai’s deportation back to Afghanistan.
