A sex offender who raped a woman who had become isolated after a night out and who attempted to lure a second woman into his car the following night has been jailed for 10 years.
Tayyab Salah Uddin (31) acted in “predatory manner” towards the two women who were alone and intoxicated in a town centre after becoming separated from their friends.
The Central Criminal Court heard that the first woman had quickly reported being taken in the man’s car and raped, so gardaí were able to spot Uddin’s car on surveillance cameras the next day as he interacted with the second woman.
Patrol cars rushed to the scene to prevent her from being put into the car.
Victim impact statement
The second woman described in her victim impact statement her immense gratitude towards the first woman in reporting the rape and describing the car, enabling the gardaí to intercept Uddin.
“I am so grateful to her for contacting the gardai,” she told the court. “I feel she saved me.”
Uddin pleaded guilty to rape of the first woman at a location in Co Sligo on September 15th, 2018 and false imprisonment of the second woman on September 16th, 2018.
Uddin, who has been in custody since being brought back to Ireland earlier this year after he left the jurisdiction, has a previous addresses at Carnbeg Hotel, Armagh Road, Dundalk, Co Louth.
Uddin has one previous conviction from the UK in 2014 for sexual assault, for which he received a conditional discharge for three years. He has no convictions in Ireland.
The court heard the native of Pakistan sought asylum in this country due to his appearance as a result of ocular albinism which “set him apart” and caused him to be “bullied and ostracised".
Passing sentence on Monday, Mr Justice Paul McDermott said Uddin had been acting in a “predatory manner” looking for woman who were isolated, alone and in a vulnerable condition.
He said he had subjected the first woman to a terrifying ordeal and raped her with some violence before brazenly returning to the town centre the following night looking, in his view, for another vulnerable woman to lure into his car.
Mr Justice McDermott said it was an aggravating feature that Uddin sought to trap the two women in this way while presenting himself as someone who just wanted to help.
He noted Uddin had a number of difficulties in life including his ocular albinism and was certified as legally blind. He noted however that Uddin was still able to move around and able to drive on this occasion. Uddin came to Ireland from the UK in 2018 and was granted refugee status here.
The judge noted Uddin said he was sorry for his behaviour but maintains that he was misunderstood in these matters. He has been assessed as high risk of reoffending.
Mr Justice McDermott noted in mitigation Uddin’s guilty plea, his lack of contacts in this country and the difficult history of oppression and opprobrium he suffered in his native country.
He imposed consecutive sentences totalling 10 years and ordered post-release supervision. He ordered three years post-release supervision, noting that Uddin continues to show no understanding of the wrongful nature of his actions and remains a threats to others.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/, or visit Rape Crisis Help.
