Man jailed for nine years after jury finds him guilty of raping woman twice in Northampton

Mohammed Ali Sheikh, previously of St Michael’s Road, appeared at Northampton Crown Court on February 14 for sentencing, after a jury found him guilty of two counts of rape and one count of attempted rape.

The 40-year-old took a woman inside a property last year and raped her twice.

Police say, following the incident, the woman managed to run away and a short time later reported what had happened to Serenity, the Sexual Assault Referral Centre, and to Northamptonshire Police.

A trial started on December 2 and lasted 10 days, ending with the jury finding Sheikh guilty on all three counts.

Lead investigator Detective Constable Elisha Lofthouse said: “No sentence could ever make up for what Sheikh put this woman through, but I hope the fact that he has been jailed gives her some semblance of justice.

“She has gone through a hugely traumatic experience and to have found the courage to report the incident to police and then to go through a trial at crown court takes an incredible amount of bravery.

“I am very proud of her, and I hope the conclusion of this process will allow her to move forward onto brighter things.

“Tackling violence against women and girls remains a priority for Northamptonshire Police and we will continue working hard in the SOLAR team to put more people who commit sexual offences behind bars.”

Sheikh was sentenced to nine years in prison and will remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.