At Bradford Crown Court, 67-year-old Babul Ahmed from Ophelia Close, Bradford, admitted to three sexual assaults against a teenage girl in historic offences that profoundly impacted the victim's life.
The court heard that Ahmed, a father of six and previously of good character, carried out the assaults on the victim when she was a teenager. Although the exact dates of the offences were not specified in the proceedings, they were described as historic, indicating they occurred some years prior to his arrest. Upon initial arrest, Ahmed denied the charges but entered guilty pleas on the day of his trial, avoiding an immediate custodial sentence.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman described the lasting effects of Ahmed's actions, stating she had suffered anxiety, depression, loneliness, sadness, fear, and feelings of shame. She emphasised, 'Ahmed’s assaults “changed me. I don’t know who I might have been and how my life might have looked had I not experienced the trauma.”' The statement underscored the long-term mental health consequences and the profound disruption to her life trajectory.
Mitigating on Ahmed's behalf, solicitor Soheil Khan highlighted the defendant's remorse and social repercussions, noting that Ahmed had 'lost face and his good name' within his South Asian community. Khan relayed Ahmed's apology, describing his behaviour as 'utterly deplorable' and explaining that the shame was so intense that Ahmed struggled to articulate it fully in his pre-sentence report to the Probation Service.
Addressing Ahmed directly from the bench, Recorder Anthony Hawks acknowledged the historic nature of the offences, Ahmed's prior good character, and his expressed remorse as factors allowing for leniency. However, Hawks firmly stated, 'Until you pleaded guilty to these three sexual assaults you were a man of previous good character. You’re not a man of good character now.' He warned of the severe lifelong impact on young victims of such abuse, saying, 'Let me make this clear: any abuse of a young child like this will lead to horrendous consequences on that young person’s life both as a child and subsequently as an adult.' Hawks added that Ahmed had become 'something of a pariah' in his community due to his actions, concluding, 'I’m afraid you brought that on yourself.'
The sentencing, reported by Tony Earnshaw, Crime and Court Reporter for The Telegraph & Argus, resulted in a total of 15 months' imprisonment suspended for two years. Ahmed was also ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years, complete 25 days of rehabilitation activity, and pay a victim surcharge. The case was heard at Bradford Crown Court, with involvement from West Yorkshire Police in the investigation and arrest.