Liman Matubber

Liman Matubber, 26, formerly of Warwick Road, Carlisle, was sentenced to nine years in prison at Carlisle Crown Court after a jury convicted him of rape and threatening a person with a blade.

The court heard how the victim repeatedly protested and told Matubber she did not want to have sex, but he forced himself on her. He used a knife to threaten her, causing her to scream in fear for her life. During the attack, he tied her hands with a scarf.

Judge Michael Fanning, sentencing, described the rape as “deeply traumatic”. He told Matubber: “She repeatedly told him she did not want to have sex. But you had sex against her will and against her protests.”

Matubber, who watched the hearing via prison video link, continued to protest his innocence. John Crawford, defending, said the defendant had encountered a “significant cultural shift” since moving to the UK and that his asylum had been granted on the basis of political persecution in his home country of Bangladesh. Since being remanded in custody, Matubber had experienced suicidal feelings, the court heard.

The judge noted Matubber’s hitherto good character but emphasised the seriousness of the offences. He ruled that Matubber will be on the Sex Offender Register indefinitely. The conviction means he faces the risk of deportation upon release.

Detective Constable Josh Daniel of Cumbria Police praised the victim for her bravery in coming forward and urged other victims of sexual offences to contact police.