Asylum man raped woman in city alley
ARAPIST attacked a woman he met outside a Cardiff bar when she became separated from her friends.
Tawab Shinwari, 21, approached his victim outside Kiwis in St Mary Street. She said he appeared “charming” and invited her back to his home for coffee and said he would ring her a taxi to a relative’s house.
But when they got out of the cab near his home he dragged her into an alley, restrained and kicked her, and brutally sexually assaulted and raped her. Shinwari then returned to his home nearby, changed his clothes, and returned to the scene, where he threatened the victim with “dangerous men”.
The attack left the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, feeling “dirty” and unable to trust men.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday heard the victim had been on a night out in June with friends and had gone outside in the early hours to sit on a bench.
She was approached by Shinwari, who offered her a cigarette and “£60 for sex”. When she laughed at him, he
said he was “only joking”.
They agreed to get a taxi back to the defendant’s home and they drove 10 minutes to a location in Cardiff with which the victim was unfamiliar.
When they got out of the taxi in Richmond Road, Shinwari headed towards an alleyway, which left the victim feeling concerned.
Prosecutor Nigel Fryer said: “Mr Shinwari began to pull her by the arm. He was physically rough with her. He tried to kiss her and pushed her up against the wall. He managed to restrain her by grabbing hold of her hands and he attempted to kick her feet from underneath.”
The court heard he lifted her top and said “feel this” before ejaculating on her back. Shinwari then raped her.
The defendant left the alleyway and returned to his home in Richmond Road and changed his clothes before returning to the scene. During this time the victim tried to call a family member.
Mr Fryer said: “She felt devastated and scared and sat outside the wall of a derelict house for half an hour.”
When she was approached again by Shinwari, she told him to “get away” or she would call the police. At this point the defendant told her that “dangerous men are coming for you”.
When interviewed, Shinwari claimed he had no memory of the incident. He said he had been intoxicated that night and suffered from mental illness. This was believed to be a facade by interviewing officers.
When the case came to court he pleaded guilty to rape and sexual assault.
Defence barrister Clare Wilks said her client was an asylum-seeker from Afghanistan who lived in a bedsit and was without family around him. It is expected he will be deported during his custodial sentence.
Sentencing, Judge Michael Fitton QC told the defendant: “You have shown no remorse.”
Shinwari was sentenced to six years and three months’ imprisonment and was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.