Two individuals identified as illegal immigrants, Khan Agah and Noorullah Ahmdzai, have been convicted of rape and other serious offenses following an attack in a London park. The pair attacked a woman and her date on August 16 of the previous year in Barking Park, east London.
During the incident, Ahmdzai, 26, raped the victim while Agah held a knife to the throat of her date, threatening to kill him if he attempted to contact the police. The roles were then switched between the attackers. Prosecutors stated that the woman was suffocated during the assault.
Agah, who claimed to be 16 at the time of the attack but was listed as 19 in court records, and Ahmdzai were convicted at Snaresbrook Crown Court of two counts of rape, two charges of threatening with a knife, one charge of assault by penetration, and one charge of false imprisonment. Home Office guidelines suggest the pair should be deported as their sentences are expected to exceed one year.
Ahmdzai arrived in the UK illegally in August 2023 via a small boat and was initially housed in a London hotel by the Home Office. His asylum claim was later rejected, and he moved to Liverpool before returning to London. The method of Agah's arrival in the UK remains unclear.
During the trial, the victim described lying with her date under the stars when the two men approached and overpowered them. She testified that the assailants viewed her as an object to be violated. DNA evidence from the victim's clothing was used by investigators to link Agah and Ahmdzai to the crime. Ahmdzai's claim that the victim offered to have sex for money was rejected by the jury.
Judge Leslie Cuthbert has ordered dangerousness reports for both defendants and a report to establish Agah's precise age. Sentencing is scheduled to take place in October. Detective Constable Megan Lelliott, who led the investigation, commended the victim's bravery and reiterated the police commitment to investigating all reports of rape and sexual offenses.