Man given jail sentence of eight years for drugging and raping teenage girl

A man who drugged and raped a teenage girl has been given a jail sentence of eight years.

Mohammed Shafiq, 44, came across his victim, who was 17 at the time, in Accrington, before taking her to Blackburn.

The woman realised Shafiq was not taking her home but he insisted she visit his house for a drink.

She reluctantly agreed and the 44-year-old gave her a glass of vodka. After drinking it and passing out, she woke up to find Shafiq raping her in the living room.

The girl blacked out again and woke up on a sofa, left the property and walked home. Over the years that followed, the victim avoided any areas where she may come across Shafiq.

In April 2020, she found out her attacker had been jailed for 11 years for raping another woman and realised what had happened to her. She contacted the police to report the incident.

When Shafiq was interviewed by police at HMP Wakefield, he denied the allegations. He said he had been in a consensual sexual relationship with the woman, not when she was 17 but several years later around 2015.

Shafiq then phoned his brother from prison and asked him to lie to police in a formal statement to back up his false version of events.

In January, Shafiq eventually admitted he had committed the offences and pleaded guilty to rape and performing an act intending to pervert the course of justice.

On Thursday 29 June, he was jailed for eight years and given an eight-year extended licence, which he will serve consecutively to his current prison sentence.

He must also sign the sex offenders register for life.

Ruby Mckeague, Senior Crown Prosecutor for the North West Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit said: “Shafiq Mohammed is a dangerous man.

"We worked with Lancashire police to build a strong case against him, focussing on his manipulative actions.

"He lured a young girl to his home under false pretences and plied her with alcohol before carrying out a premeditated sexual attack upon her.

"He then tried to get his brother to lie for him to cover up him.

“I would like to thank this woman for coming forward and giving evidence against the man who raped her, which has enabled us to bring him to justice.

"I sincerely hope that following today’s sentence she can achieve a sense of closure and focus on her future.”