Sunderland Echo

JAIL FOR ATTACKS ON GIRLS

- copydesk.northeast@jpress.co.uk Twitter: @sunderland­echo by Karon Kelly

A barber who carried out sex attacks on two schoolgirl­s has been put behind bars.

Aram Abdulrahma­n, 41, of Sunderland, “pinned” one of the victims to a sofa and subjected the other to a 20-minute ordeal.

A barber who carried out sex attacks on two schoolgirl­s has been put behind bars.

Aram Abdulrahma­n, of Sunderland, “pinned” one of the victims to a sofa and subjected the other to a 20-minute ordeal.

The 41-year-old, who runs his own barber shop, denied two charges of sexual assault, but was convicted by a jury after a trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

One of the victims, in an impact statement, said: “Sometimes I see a yellow car that looks like his when I’m out.

“When I see it I feel anxious, like I can’t breathe properly.

“I used to have nightmares that he was trying to kill me for telling the police.”

The other girl said: “I feel angry. I never want to see his face again.”

Judge Robert Spragg sentenced Abdulrahma­n, of Sandringha­m Road, Sunderland, to three years behind bars with lifelong sex-offender registrati­on and sexual harm prevention order.

Judge Spragg told him: “These offences are clearly so serious only an immediate custodial penalty is appropriat­e.”

The judge said Abdulrahma­n, who appeared at the hearing via video link to prison, was a “hard-working man” who set up his own barbers shop after he moved to the UK due to the political situation in his homeland.

He continued to financiall­y support his mother in Iraq after he was granted permission to remain.

David Lamb, defending, said a prison term would have an impact on Abdulrahma­n’s business and put his home at risk.

The court heard Abdulrahma­n has never served a jail sentence before, but has conviction­s for mainly motoring offences.

He has no conviction­s for previous sexual offending.

“When I see it I feel anxious, like I can’t breathe properly” VICTIM

 ??  ?? Aram Abdulrahma­n
Aram Abdulrahma­n

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