Sentence in Oxford sexual abuse trial – Oliver Saxby QC prosecuting

June 13, 2018

Sentence was passed yesterday following the five and a half month long sexual abuse trial which concluded in late March. Seven of the eight convicted defendants were sentenced to a total of over 75 years imprisonment. The eighth was sentenced to Life Imprisonment with a minimum term of 12 years.

The trial had commenced on 9th October. It was one of the largest of its type ever conducted. In all, there were eleven defendants and six complainants. Each complainant was essentially independent of the others. To make the complex evidence easier to follow, the Crown’s case was presented complainant by complainant in six separate and distinct chapters. Having called a complainant, the Crown went on to deal with that complainant’s supporting evidence, the relevant defendants’ arrests and interviews and the pertinent Agreed Facts. The jury were assisted by a large number of trial documents (including tables and schedules) setting out the counts alleged, respective identifications, relevant associations and other links.

The allegations dated back to the late 1990s and spanned a period of about 7 years. The Crown alleged widespread sexual exploitation and grooming, largely in and around Oxford, by a group of local males. The six complainants were aged between 14 and 17 at the time. At trial, each was a vulnerable witness. Four gave evidence via VRIs/Live Link but two chose to give evidence ‘live’ and so had to be examined in chief on the detailed accounts they had provided. The second of these gave the police a large number of witness statements containing information not in sequential order. As a result, the Crown prepared a fully-referenced evidence in chief plan to assist in taking her through her account. This ensured as streamlined a presentation of her evidence as possible.

The allegations included counts of conspiracy to rape, multiple incident rape, multiple incident indecent assault, sexual activity (i.e. allegations under both the old law and the new law) and false imprisonment. Complex factual issues aside, the case involved substantial issues of law, in particular on the topics of bad character, cross-admissibility, identification and consent. The detailed written Legal Directions given to the jury ran to 33 pages.

The sentences imposed were as follows:
Assad Hussain: Life Imprisonment with a minimum term of 12 years
Kameer Iqbal: 12 years imprisonment
Khalid Hussain: 12 years imprisonment
Alladitta Yousaf: 7 1/2 years imprisonment
Haji Khan: 10 years imprisonment
Kamran Khan: 8 years imprisonment
Moinul Islam: 15 years 9 months imprisonment
Raheem Ahmed: 12 years imprisonment

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