Cemetery rapist who lay in wait for victims jailed for 16 years

A rapist who lay in wait for his victims before dragging them into a cemetery to attack them has been sent to prison.

Ishaq Al-Noor attacked one of his victims - a 17-year-old student - in the grave yard off Spring Bank West in June last year, and tried to rape a mother in her 20s six months later, in "almost identical" offences.

The court heard a statement from the teenage student about how her life had fallen apart as a result of her ordeal and the mother revealed she had tried to kill herself.

Al Noor, 21, of Pendrill Street, west Hull initially denied the charges. He changed his plea to guilty on the first day of his trial.

Prosecutor John Thackray told the court the defendant targeted two females late at night engaging them in conversation before dragging them off the pavement and into a cemetery, where he then raped one of them and tried to rape the other.

The court was told how the teenager was attacked in the early hours of June 4 while walking home. Al Noor began talking to her and then 'without warning grabbed her by the neck and pulled her backward into the cemetery she was holding onto the railing but was unable to hold on.

The second victim was attacked in the early hours of November 16. He approached the young mother and engaged her in conversation telling her she was 'beautiful' before he said 'you're coming with me.'

Mr Thackray said:" She was crying and shouting and he was covering her mouth as he dragged her into the same cemetery. "

Al-Noor 'threw her to the floor' and tried to rape her as she struggled against him. "She was thinking of her children and shouting to him about her children"

A judge at Hull Crown Court praised the victims' courage while jailing Al-Noor for 16 years under the dangerous offender provisions, with an extended licence period of six years.

Detective Chief Inspector Craig Nicholson said after the hearing: "Ishaq Al-Noor will now face 16 years in prison and no longer pose a risk to the public. We again commend the victims for their courage in coming forward and offer our assurance to anyone reporting a sexual offence that they will be treated with respect and empathy, and we will do everything in our power bring such abhorrent criminals to justice."