St Helens: Man jailed for rape and sexual assaults

Habibul Haque, 44, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today (Friday, October 17) after being found guilty of rape and sexual offences following a trial earlier this month.

Haque was sentenced for offences including four counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH).

The offences, against a woman aged in her 20s in St Helens, were first reported to police in March 2025.

Haque was charged and convicted after trial following a complex investigation.

The 44-year-old was jailed for 18 years for the multiple offences.

As well as the lengthy prison sentence, Haque has also been placed on the Sex Offender’s Register for life and given an indefinite restraining order.

Detective Constable Jaskarn Sandhu, who led the investigation, said: “This was a prolonged and appalling series of offences and I hope this sentencing brings some comfort to her.

“I want to commend the victim for having the strength and courage in reporting Haque’s actions because taking the first step is always the hardest and most difficult.

"Thankfully, the combined efforts from Merseyside Police, the CPS and our partner agencies meant that the jury saw through Haque's lies after the evidence we were able to present.

“I hope this sentencing shows and reassures the public how seriously the courts take these offences and how Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting women from violence and sexual abuse.

“If you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, I urge you to please come forward and report this to police.”

To report a sexual offence you can call 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always call 999.

If you have been a victim of sexual assault or rape, you can access specialist support services, which are free of charge and available to anyone. You do not need a referral or to have reported an incident to Merseyside Police before you access these specialist support services.

These services can support you in a variety of ways, including offering a confidential discussion if you are thinking of making a police report, but are unsure what that involves and would like to discuss it.

If you do decide to report to Merseyside Police, you will receive support throughout the investigation, court process and beyond.

You can choose to make an anonymous report through the Sexual Assault Referral Centre called Safe Place, or the Independent Sexual Violence Advisor service, rather than coming directly to Merseyside Police.

With no police involvement, a specialist doctor at Safe Place can examine you to check that you are ok and look for DNA evidence, which they will store to support your case. This gives you the option of making a formal police report at a later time, if you choose to.

Support is also available in Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, from Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside who are available on 0151 558 1801 and, in St Helens and Knowsley, by the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063.

If you do not require immediate police assistance, then you can report rape and sexual assault via our website here:

https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences/

Support is also available through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Victim Care Merseyside service: Home: Victim Care Merseyside

Merseyside Police recently launched the Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) campaign to put the voices of women and girls at the heart of our work to tackle VAWG. You can find out more about the campaign here: www.merseyside.police.uk/vawg