‘Vile and wicked’ rape gang jailed for preying on teens
LENGTHY jail sentences have been handed out to a gang of men who embarked on a campaign of rape and other sexual abuse against vulnerable teenage girls in Huddersfield.
Ringleader Amere Singh Dhaliwal (35) was jailed for life earlier this year and told he must serve a minimum of 18 years in prison by a judge who said: “Your treatment of these girls was inhuman.”
Dhaliwal is one of 20 men who have been found guilty of scores of offences in a series of trials at Leeds Crown Court. Those already sentenced have received prison terms totalling 221 years.
Fifteen women told juries what happened to them between 2004 and 2011 when they were aged between 11 and 17.
The series of three trials has been subject to a blanket reporting ban which was partially lifted yesterday.
It was lifted by the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Guy Kearl QC, following representations by a number of media organisations.
It was towards the end of the second of these trials, in May, that English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson was arrested as he reported about the case live on Facebook from outside the court. Robinson was jailed for contempt of court but his conviction was later quashed and the case is due to be heard again at the Old Bailey next week. Top row: Amere Singh Dhaliwal; Irfan Ahmed; Zahid Hassan; Mohammed Kammer, Raj Singh Barsran. Bottom row: Mohammed Rizwan Aslam; Abdul Rehman; Nahman Mohammed; Mansoor Akhtar, and Mohammed Irfraz were all sentenced for campaign of abuse in Huddersfield
Dhaliwal, who has children of his own, was convicted of 54 separate counts, including 22 rapes,
involving 11 girls. Judge Geoffrey Marson QC told him earlier this year: “You treated them as commodities
to be passed around for your own sexual gratification and the gratification of others.
“The extent and gravity of your offending far exceeds anything which I have previously encountered. Children’s lives have been ruined and families profoundly affected by seeing their children, over months and years, out of control, having been groomed by you and other members of your gang.”
The girls, who are now all adults, told the juries how they believed they were being shown genuine affection and attention as they were groomed.
But Judge Marson told the men this was “deliberately created to enable predatory men such as you to perpetrate gross sexual abuse for your own perverted gratification”.
The judge noted that at least one girl attempted suicide. One was also seen being thrown out of a moving car outside her home. She had bruises all over her face and was under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Judge Marson said at the end of the first trial: “The way you treated these girls defies understanding; this abuse was vile and wicked. None of you has expressed any remorse for what you did.”
Dhaliwal, of Holly Road, Huddersfield, was jailed in June along with seven other men, who received prison terms of between eight and 18 years. After the second trial, which also ended in June, eight more men were jailed for between five and 18 years. Four more men were found guilty of a range of offences earlier this month after the third trial, and will be sentenced on November 1.