A failed asylum seeker from Kurdistan has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old university student in her Birmingham accommodation. Mohammad Hasani, 29, was found guilty of four charges, including assault by penetration, following a four-day trial at Birmingham Crown Court.
Hasani had come to the UK in 2022 and claimed asylum, stating his previous job in Iran as a 'border porter' was considered illegal. His asylum case was ongoing when he committed the offenses on October 1, 2024. His claim was later rejected, and an appeal was pending at the time of his sentencing, though progress on the appeal was stalled due to his remand status.
During the trial, the court heard that Hasani was invited to the students' flat by a flatmate. While initially present with both students, the atmosphere shifted when one left the room and Hasani asked the victim for a massage, which she refused. He proceeded to massage her back and shoulders, making her uncomfortable.
The victim then showed Hasani around the student flat, including her bedroom, where he closed the door. According to court testimony, Hasani proceeded to kiss and fondle the student, who repeatedly rejected his advances and stated she did not know him. The judge noted that the victim had a diagnosis of autism, which may have influenced her reactions during the incident.
Hasani is reported to have blocked the victim's attempts to open the bedroom door and forced her back onto the bed when she tried to move away. He continued to touch her despite her objections. The assault included Hasani pinning her hands against the headboard of her bed. Later, in the living room, he again touched her thigh and breasts over her clothing, an act the judge described as a deliberate distraction.
The victim reported the assault to the police the following morning, and Hasani was arrested a week later. The judge, Richard Bond, remarked on the prolonged nature of the assaults and their impact on the victim, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The judge also indicated that his sentencing remarks would be made available to the Home Office for consideration in Hasani's immigration case, stating that such offenses must be factored into decisions about his eligibility to remain in the UK.
Hasani was described as having no previous convictions, but a pre-sentence report noted a 'complete lack of victim empathy'.