Mum and baby hurt after rock thrown on motorway
EIGHT men have appeared in court to deny 84 child sex offences allegedly committed in Rochdale.
All eight defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges they have been accused of during a crown court hearing.
Prosecutors previously said the case involves alleged ‘widespread sexual exploitation and abuse’ of two girls aged between 12 and 16 between 2002 and 2006. The men are due to stand trial in May next year.
During a hearing at Minshull Street Crown Court, details of the 84 counts were read to the defendants, who pleaded not guilty to every charge.
Mohammed Ghani, 37, of Bamford Way, Rochdale, pleaded not guilty to 21 counts, including 10 counts of rape, one of sexual intercourse with a child, two of indecency with a child, six of sexual activity with a child, and two of buggery.
Insar Hussain, 37, of Bishop Street, pleaded not guilty to 17 offences including seven counts of rape, two counts of sexual intercourse with a child, three counts of indecency with a child, four counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation.
Ikhlaq Yousaf, 37, of Stanley Street, Rochdale denied seven offences including two counts of rape, two counts of indecency with a child, two counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.
Jahn Ghani, 48, of Whitworth Road, Rochdale pleaded not guilty to 17 offences including eight counts of rape, eight counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.
Martin Rhodes, 38, of Dinmore Avenue, Blackpool, denied six offences including two counts of rape and four counts of sexual activity with a child.
Ali Kazmi, 34, of Brotherod Hall Road, Rochdale, pleaded not guilty to six offences including two counts of rape, two counts of indecency with a child and two counts of sexual activity with a child.
Aftar Khan, 34, of Sparthbottom Road, Rochdale, denied eight offences including three counts of rape, two counts of sexual activity with a child and three counts of indecency with a child.
Mohammed Iqbal, 66, of Gainsborough Drive, Rochdale pleaded not guilty to two counts of paying for the sexual services of a child.
“Each of you, as is your right of course, has entered not guilty pleas to the allegations against you,” Judge John Potter told the defendants.
Insar Hussain was remanded in custody, and the remaining defendants were released on bail ahead of a trial scheduled for May next year, which is expected to run for 10 weeks.
AMUM and newborn baby were left injured after a child threw a rock from a bridge over the M62.
Police said the incident happened last Saturday (May 21) on the motorway near Rochdale.
A child threw a rock from a bridge over the carriageway, which landed on a vehicle with the mum and her baby inside, police said. Both were injured in the shocking incident.
Officers are now urging parents to check where their children are after a recent spate of rock throwing incidents on motorways.
The incidents have become a ‘growing trend’, police said.
Those involved have been warned that they could be prosecuted and taken to court.
A post on Twitter this morning (May 26) from the GMP Rochdale account said: “Parents do you know where your children were last Saturday? We are seeing a growing trend where children have been throwing items off the M62 footbridge that pass by Rochdale.
“A recent incident has occurred where one child has thrown a rock off the bridge, onto the motorway, hitting a vehicle carrying a mother and a new-born child, which has resulted in injuries.
“Behaving in this manner has a serious risk of causing severe injury or death and if anyone is identified as being an offender in this situation, they could face a prosecution with the result leading to convictions at court.
“It is imperative that parents discuss behaviour like this with their children to prevent further incidents from occurring.”
Last weekend, the North West Motorway Police said they were called to 10 different reports of children and teenagers causing disturbances across the region’s motorway network, with youngsters also allegedly climbing up motorway signs.
On Sunday evening, North West Motorway Police posted a disturbing photograph of one of the large rocks that caused damage to unsuspecting car occupants.
Alongside the picture, an officer wrote: “Yet another incident relating to youths throwing bricks off bridges – another two vehicles damaged and occupants of vehicles covered in glass.
“This is the rock that was found by our Highways colleagues. We will deal accordingly if youths are found.”
In an earlier tweet, on the same day and same account, a North West Motorway Police spokesperson said: “Over this weekend alone we have had 10 incidents involving children and teenagers on the network, climbing the signs and actually throwing bricks from bridges injuring a driver as it went through a windscreen. This is not acceptable. Parents do you know where your children are!”