Sultani Bakatash, who is Afghan, was convicted of two counts of rape, one of sexual assault, and one of assault by penetration following a trial at Bolton Crown Court. He had met one of the girls on Snapchat before inviting her and her friend to his residence on December 6. The court heard that Bakatash provided the girls with vodka and the mixture, leading to their intoxication to the point of passing in and out of consciousness before he committed the offenses. One of the victims managed to escape the flat and alerted a neighbor that her friend was being raped by Bakatash.
Prosecutors stated that Bakatash encouraged the girls to continue drinking while he consumed minimal amounts, complimenting them on their appearance. He was described as someone "intent on sexual gratification, regardless of what they wanted." Both girls reportedly witnessed each other being raped and sexually assaulted due to their impaired state.
Following the assault, one victim suffered severe psychological harm, and the other will experience lifelong effects from the sexual assault. A probation report indicated that Bakatash does not acknowledge his actions and is assessed as posing a high risk to women and girls. He fled the property after the crimes and was apprehended two days later at his brother's home.
Bakatash had been in the UK for two years and possessed indefinite leave to remain. His defense attorney mentioned that Bakatash had been injured by a gunshot while working with the British Army in Afghanistan and had left the country out of fear after the Taliban takeover in 2021. He expressed feeling overwhelmed by living in a foreign country. The judge noted that while Bakatash could be deported after serving two-thirds of his sentence, this might not occur due to his past work with the British Army and his reasons for fleeing Afghanistan.