Court case delayed by confusion over age

at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court by two co-defendants.

Bahaldin Doud, 20, of Village Terrace in Burley, Leeds, is accused of two counts of attempted rape.

A third defendant, 35-year-old Abdul Latif Salih, of Trinity Street in Huddersfield, faces two charges of attempted rape, attempting to cause a female aged 13 or over to engage in sexual activity and sexual assault.

All three men gave their nationality as Sudanese when they appeared in court from custody.

But Muhamadaim said that his date of birth was March 2001 and not January 1993, which would make him only 17 and not 25.

Proceedings at the Huddersfield court were then delayed so that the prosecutor Alex Bozman could obtain evidence confirming that the defendant was an adult.

He read to magistrates details of a Home Office document, an asylum registration form filled out by Muhamadaim.

He said that this stated that he was born in 1993, was married and had a young child.

His solicitor Zahid Majeed said he was concerned as the documentation was not signed and added that it was not uncommon for people his age to marry young in his country.

Magistrates said they were satisfied with the documentation stating him to be an adult.

They sent all three men to Leeds Crown Court where they will first appear on August 14.

All three were remanded into custody in the meantime.