'Predatory sex offender' who poses 'risk to women' jailed

Govar Abdul-Rahman then returned to the woman’s flat a week later, spotted by the victim as she pulled back the curtains in circumstances like “out of a horror film”, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

The defendant, an Iraqi-born asylum seeker who had entered the UK illegally, had already sexually assaulted two women in the sauna at Queens Park Leisure Centre, on Boundary Road, within three days.

Three weeks later he launched an attack in an alleyway on an 18-year-old woman, who had been on one of her first nights out in St Helens town centre.

A week later, Abdul-Rahman’s “escalating” offending then saw him make his way into a young woman’s flat through a window in the early hours.

She was awoken as she slept naked on her bed to the sight of the defendant standing over her bed.

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In what a judge called the “stuff of nightmares”, the woman heard a noise and opened her curtains and saw Abdul-Rahman trying to get into her flat again.

Prosecuting, Trevor Parry-Jones told the court that Abdul-Rahman committed the first of his sexual assaults at Queens Park on June 26, last year.

He said a woman was there to go “swimming with her daughter” and was in the pool when the defendant “began to talk to her”.

As she went to the sauna he “followed” and “began to ask her personal questions” and “whether she had a boyfriend” and for her phone number which “she refused to give”. As the victim chatted with others in the sauna, she noticed him “staring at her all the time”.

As he later followed her back into the pool there were “occasions he touched” or “skimmed” against her. Meanwhile, back at the steam room he “sat next to her so her leg and his were touching” and “began to ask her about her boyfriend and whether he could be her boyfriend”.

Mr Parry-Jones said the victim replied “no” and “asked him to move” and that Abdul-Rahman leaned across the upper part of her body and his forearm brushed against her.

The prosecution says this was "deliberate touching" of her chest.

Before she left the premises, she also saw that Abdul-Rahman had his phone on and was looking at her Instagram account.

Queens Park Health & Fitness

Meanwhile, three days later, on June 29, Abdul-Rahman assaulted another woman in the sauna where he had “sat next to her and then put his arm around her shoulder and began to stroke her right arm”.

He then “placed his hand on her thigh” and “deliberately brushed her chest with his forearm”.

Then on July 17, the sex offender assaulted an 18-year-old girl, who had been out with friends in St Helens town centre into an alleyway.

While they were sat outside the Circus bar, she had said “she needed the toilet and looking for somewhere she could go”. As she went down the alleyway the defendant followed her.

Mr Parry-Jones said that the defendant “engaged her in conversation” though “she didn’t wish to have a conversation with him”. He said to her “you’re really beautiful” and the victim replied “thanks but no”. Abdul-Rahman said to her she was “his type.”.

The defendant went on to “kiss” the victim and “she moved her cheek to one side so he couldn’t kiss on the lips”.

The woman said to him “I just want to go back to my friends” and Abdul-Rahman said: “I like you, you’re really pretty” and “pushed her against a wall”.

Mr Parry-Jones said the victim assaulted her over clothing. The victim managed to get back to her friends who described her as “extremely upset”.

On July 23 Abdul-Rahman was subject to a stop-check by police to whom he gave a “false name”, the court heard.

Mr Parry-Jones then went on to describe Abdul-Rahman’s next offence, which took place on July 24.

He said that at around 4am a “vulnerable young woman” had fallen asleep in her flat but was later “awoken because she sensed something was amiss”.

He added: “She couldn’t believe what she saw, what she saw was the defendant who was standing over the end of the bed. It was summer and she was sleeping naked on top of the bed.”

Abdul-Rahman fled through a window in the adjoining room through which he had entered saying “sorry”.

Mr Parry-Jones then said a week later, in the early hours of July 31, the woman “heard a noise” and “pulled the curtains and there on the other side of the curtain was the face of this defendant”, in what he described as an episode “like a horror film”.

Abdul-Rahman again said “I’m sorry” and left.

The barrister said that Abdul-Rahman was arrested on August 5.

The 28-year-old was convicted, after a trial, of trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence, voyeurism and attempted trespassing to commit a sexual offence.

He was convicted of sexual assaults at Queens Park, and he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault over the town centre attack.

Mr Abdul-Rahman said there was “some degree of planning” in his offending.

Liverpool Crown Court

Defending, Charles Lander, said Abdul-Rahman, had to “escape” from Iraq and had been in a relationship with a girl that “her family didn’t like” and that his “father was killed”.

He said his client “registered for asylum” in the UK and “lived in St Helens for a short period.”

He added that Abdul-Rahman “went to the police himself” and had no previous convictions. He said that following his client’s guilty plea to the town centre assault, he invited the court to hope “he has begun the long road to remorse”.

Passing sentence on Abdul-Rahman, judge David Swinnerton said: “What you did doesn’t just cause one moment, or one evening of fear or anxiety, it takes a long time to get over the sort of anxiety caused.”

The judge added that Abdul-Rahman had “demonstrates a complete lack of boundaries” and said his offending had “escalated seriously”.

The judge said it was noted there was “no evidence of psychiatric disorder, nothing that reduces any culpability. You demonstrated no insight, no understanding and no remorse”. The judge noted the defendant had attempted to “minimise (his) actions” and had “victim blaming attitudes”.

The judge said he is a “high risk of causing serious harm to adult females” adding “I am satisfied that you present such a risk.”

Predator: Govar Abdul-Rahman

Abdul-Rahman, of Silkstone Street, Newtown, St Helens, was given an extended sentence of 12 years, seven in custody with an extra five years on licence for the attempted trespassing at the flat, with concurrent sentences of four years and four months for the trespassing and voyeurism offences.

For the sexual assaults at Queens Park he was given two consecutive four-month sentences, and a 20-month consecutive sentence for the town centre sexual assaults, making a total of 28 months.

Abdul-Rahman, who was sentenced via video link with the aid of an interpreter, must serve two-thirds of the seven-year custodial term and half of the 28 months in custody.

The judge added: "It will be a matter for the Home Office to determine whether you are deported."