London: A Pakistani delivery driver has been sentenced to eight years and three months in prison for raping a vulnerable woman in a hospital car park in southern England.
Suleman Mukaish, 27, admitted the rape at an earlier court hearing and was sentenced at Hove Crown Court on Tuesday. In addition to his prison term, he will remain on an extended licence for three years after his release.
The court heard that the victim had attended Worthing Hospital on March 11 while intoxicated, confused and unsteady on her feet. After leaving the hospital, Mukaish approached her in the adjacent car park, forced her onto the bonnet of a car and sexually assaulted her.
The woman attempted to hold onto a wall to resist the attack but was overpowered, prosecutors said. A short time later, she was found by a member of the public and reported that she had been raped.
Police launched an investigation, during which the victim identified the vehicle involved. Officers recovered fingerprints and palm prints from the car, linking Mukaish to the crime.
He was arrested two days later at Gatwick Airport while attempting to leave the UK on a one-way ticket to Pakistan.
Sentencing him, Judge Christine Henson KC said the victim had been “at her most vulnerable” when she was attacked by “a complete stranger” shortly after leaving hospital. The judge said the psychological impact on the victim had been immense and noted that she could no longer return to the hospital because of traumatic flashbacks.
The court heard that Mukaish was living in the UK on a student visa with graduate leave valid until 2028. He had studied computer science and completed a master’s degree.
During the hearing, the defence said Mukaish claimed he had initially approached the woman believing she needed assistance. He alleged that she had asked him for money and that he believed he could engage in sexual activity with her in return. However, the defence acknowledged that the victim did not have the capacity to give legal consent.
The court rejected any suggestion that the victim had consented, and Mukaish was sentenced for rape.
