Jail for sex attack three

THREE men are behind bars today for carrying out a "revolting and despicable" sexual assault on a teenage girl.

Andam Ahmad, 20, and Ahmad Hamad, 29, and Niaz Namik, 24, were all sentenced to 18 months in prison for their part in a horrific serious of sexual assaults on a 15-year-old girl in an Ipswich flat.

Ipswich Crown Court heard that the girl, who was in the care of the local authority and took a huge amount of anti-depressants and some alcohol before she went to St Francis Tower where she was attacked, has no memory of the attack.

Judge Nicholas Beddard said: "I'm in no doubt that all of you behaved in a revolting and despicable way towards a helpless girl of under 16."

Due to the teenager's unconscious state it is not known exactly what happened to her but she was found on the 13th floor half dressed, grazed and bruised.

A medical examination revealed internal bruising which proved she had been sexually assaulted.

Simon Spence, prosecuting at Ipswich Crown Court said DNA from a number of semen stains revealed that at least five men had sexually assaulted her.

Ahmad and Hamad, who pleaded guilty to indecent assault, and Namik who pleaded guilty to committing gross indecency with a child, are all Iraqi nationals of previous good character.

They had come to England seeking asylum and have been granted asylum to stay in the UK indefinitely.

Mr Spence said on April 16 last year the girl was seen on CCTV entering St Francis Tower at 6pm.

A group of youths including Namik were then seen on CCTV going into the building "laughing and joking".

The court heard that Namik spoke to the girl who was sitting on the stairs.

Two-and-a-half hours later she was seen again with Ahmad getting out of the lift on the 11th floor.

Eventually she was found by other occupants of the flats on the 13th floor just before midnight.

Mr Spence said: "She was found in a distressed and dishevelled state and only wearing a vest top, her knickers, which were back to front, and a sock."

She was loaned some jeans and a top and taken to hospital where grazes and bruises were found on her.

Peter Barr mitigating for Ahmad said he lived at the YMCA and was in receipt of benefits. He said Ahmad, whose family had been killed during the war, felt "very bad" about what happened to the girl.

Mr Barr said Ahmad gave the girl a cigarette on the stairs, then saw her much later in a room with other men. He said he had gone in and performed a sexual act over her.

Maria Dineen for Hamad said her client, who worked 12 hours shifts at a chicken factory, was deeply ashamed about what had happened.

She said Hamad, who has a wife and a four-year-old daughter had seen the girl face down and unconscious in a flat he knew was used by prostitutes and drug addicts.

Hamad, who lived in St Francis Tower, said no one else was with her so he went in and performed a sexual act over her.

Martyn Levett, for Namik, declined to say what his client's involvement was in open court in case the victim became aware of the nightmare she had failed to recollect.

He said Namik, who lived at St Francis Tower before moving to Portsmouth after the incident had been doing factory work since he fled to the UK in 2001.

Judge Nicholas Beddard said: "Clearly other people were involved as well, only you know what in fact happened between each of you and that girl. Only you know who was present and at what stage. I'm in no doubt that all of you behaved in a revolting and despicable way towards a helpless girl of under 16."

He said he was limited to sentencing the men on their basis of pleas as the girl was unable to give any evidence proving their stories untrue.

The defendants were told to sign the Sex Offenders' register informing the police of their whereabouts for the next 10 years.