Rapist chased by victim down Aberdeen street after attack jailed

A rapist who was chased by his victim moments after he sexually assaulted her in a city street has been jailed for seven years.

Mohammed Abdullah, 19, attacked the 18-year-old woman in Bon Accord Street, Aberdeen on August 17, 2021.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Abdullah came to Scotland from Sudan in the hope of securing a “better life”.

But he targeted his victim after she left the Prohibition bar in the city centre.

He had been waiting outside the nightclub in the moments leading up to the attack and taking photos of women dancing in the street.

Last month, a jury heard how he seized his victim by her wrists and restrained her before raping her.

But after the attack, the woman started running after him.

Abdullah fled and walked along nearby streets in Aberdeen city centre.

Detectives uncovered CCTV footage from a location close to where the rape took place.

Jurors convicted Abdullah, who was described on legal documents as being a prisoner of Polmont Young Offenders Institution in Stirling, on a single charge of rape.

Lord Ericht told Abdullah that he took the sentencing guidelines on young people into consideration in deciding the term.

Passing sentence he told the offender, who observed proceedings via video link: “Your victim was unknown to you. You were hanging about late at night outside a nightclub. After your victim left the nightclub you raped her in the street.

“Your sentence will be one of seven years imprisonment.”

Defence solicitor, advocate Paul Mullen, told the court that his client has had little contact with his family in Sudan since arriving in Scotland.

He added: “He is a very young man who has come to these shores via a very circuitous route in the hope of setting up for himself a better life.

“He has never been on remand before. He is isolated. He’s had very little contact with his family in Sudan.

“He’s however been receiving visits from guardianship services.”

Lord Ericht also told Abdullah that he would remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.