Omar Badreddin

Omar Badreddin, a 26-year-old Syrian refugee who settled in the UK, was a key leader in a gang that targeted and abused a vulnerable 13-year-old girl in Newcastle between August 2018 and April 2019. Alongside his brother Mohamed, Huzaefa Aleboud, and Hamoud Al Soaimi, Badreddin groomed the victim with alcohol and cigarettes before subjecting her to repeated rapes near Newcastle city centre and at her home. The court heard that Badreddin raped the girl on at least seven occasions, often immediately following assaults by his brother, and used threats to kill or kidnap her if she resisted.

At Newcastle Crown Court, Judge Amanda Rippon described how the Badreddin brothers quickly identified the girl's vulnerability and treated her like a 'toy' for their entertainment, exploiting her despite her pleas for kinder treatment and admissions of self-harm. Prosecutor Anne Richardson detailed the aggressive nature of the attacks, noting that Mohamed threatened the girl by saying Omar would 'hurt her if she didn't do stuff with him'. The brothers, who had fled the war in Syria, showed no regard for the victim's age, even after she claimed to be 15.

In mitigation, barrister Glenn Gatland argued that Omar had been 'haunted' by his experiences in Syria, including the loss of an older brother in the conflict, and felt 'deep shame and guilt' for his imprisonment. However, the judge emphasised the group's manipulation and the lasting trauma inflicted on the victim, who described her childhood as a 'living nightmare' and turned to drugs and self-harm to cope. Omar Badreddin was found guilty of five counts of rape and sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment on 1 March 2024. He must sign the sex offenders' register for life and is subject to a restraining order prohibiting contact with the victim and other girls.

Additionally, Badreddin received a one-year sentence for violent disorder related to a 2020 clash in Newcastle city centre between Black Lives Matter supporters and the North East Frontline Patriots, where he threw bottles at police. This case was reported by the BBC, highlighting the appalling nature of the crimes committed by the Badreddin brothers following their earlier acquittal in a separate sexual assault trial in 2016.