A man has been sentenced for the rape of a woman in a car park in Worthing.
Suleman Mukaish, aged 27, targeted the vulnerable victim in Lyndhurst Road.
The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, received support from specially-trained officers. She reported the offence to a member of the public who then called police.
Sussex Police arrested Mukaish at London Gatwick Airport two days after the offence, having booked a one-way ticket to leave the country. He was subsequently charged with rape, which he admitted in court on 13 April.
Mukaish, a Pakistani national who was studying in the UK, of Cambridge Road, Worthing, appeared for sentence at Hove Crown Court on 23 June where he was jailed for 11 years and three months.
The court was told how the incident happened at about 7.30pm on 11 March this year. The victim was found by a witness returning to their vehicle, and informed the witness she had been raped.
“I could see she was in a bad way,” the witness said.
Detectives were able to piece together CCTV footage which showed Mukaish grabbing the victim and taking her to the car park, where she was raped. They also found a fingerprint and handprint matching Mukaish on a car at the scene of the crime.
The 27-year-old has been jailed for 11 years and three months.
Detective Superintendent Andrew Harbour said: “I would like to commend the victim for her bravery and courage and for her support of the investigation. Also I would like to thank the many witnesses and members of the public who helped her at the scene and who came forward to report information to the police. This information and support from the community was vital to ensure we secured a conviction in this case.
“I would also like to commend the dedication, professionalism and determination of the investigative team, whose painstaking work in gathering evidence and following every line of enquiry was instrumental in securing a compelling case to support a vulnerable victim and bring a dangerous offender to justice.
“Despite answering ‘no comment’ during police interviews and making a short statement to deny the offence, when presented with the strength of our evidence, Mukaish chose to plead guilty in court.
“This case shows our determination to catch offenders, and Mukaish is now serving a significant custodial sentence.”
“We take reports of rape and sexual offences extremely seriously, and tackling incidents of violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a priority for Sussex Police."
More information and support for victims is available on the Safe:Space Sussex website and Sussex Police website.
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