Rapist jailed for seven years after victim records attack on phone

A quick-thinking rape victim recorded her attack on a mobile phone before biting her abuser's genitals and escaping his flat.

Sarbast Fatah has been jailed for seven years for rape after inviting his victim to his Gateshead apartment in March a few days after befriending her.

Newcastle Crown Court was told when she arrived for drinks, the 24-year-old pinned her to his sofa and twice attacked her.

However, prosecutors said unbeknown to Fatah, the terrified victim managed to record some of the ordeal and could be heard on a recording shouting: "No, I don't want to".

She then bit Fatah's genitals before managing to flee his flat. She later reported what had happened to police, Chronicle Live reports.

Fatah initially denied raping the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

But he pleaded guilty to one count of rape by oral penetration and one of sexual assault by penetration on the day his case was listed for trial.

Fatah, who is believed to be originally from Iraq and has been in the UK for eight years, has also been ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

Lee Fish, prosecuting, said Fatah had made friends with the victim in the days before the sex attack in March this year and told her his name was Adam.

He then invited her back to his flat for drinks. Once there, he had a shower before sexually assaulting and raping her, the court heard.

Fish said: "She [the victim] had just started to drink and the defendant opened a can of alcohol. It was at this stage the defendant committed the sexual offences, pushing her on the sofa. She tried to stop him."

The prosecutor added: "She [the victim] realised what was going to happen and, in a some what resourceful way, decided to record what was happening on her mobile telephone."

The court was told the defendant sexually assaulted the woman before she managed to push him off. She told her attacker she was going home, but he launched another attack seconds later, pinning her down and raping her.

Managed to escape

Fish said the terrified woman later managed to escape and left the flat before reporting her ordeal to police. The brave victim appeared in the court to personally read her statement.

She said: "I'm too scared to go out on my own and I only feel safe in my bedroom. I have also been having a lot of flashbacks. I kept seeing his face and him attacking me."

Fatah initially told police the sexual activity was consensual and denied the rape charges. However, he changed his plea after listening to his victim's mobile phone recordings.

He has since blamed the attack on "cultural differences" and "not understanding British law", the court heard.

Sentencing, Judge Sarah Mallett said: "The victim has been deeply affected by what you did. She had to leave her home and she needs to have someone with her all the time because she doesn't feel safe to go out."

Richard Herrmann, defending, said Fatah, who has no past convictions, fled his homeland as a teenager after his father was murdered and had been working cash-in-hand jobs ever since.

Herrmann added: "He has reported every time required to the immigration services and has explored avenues to remain in the UK."

He added that Fatah was "socially isolated", and had been earning £10 a day working in a barber's shop.