A vulnerable middle-aged woman with learning difficulties was subjected to a terrifying sexual assault in Pump Room Gardens, Leamington Spa, in August 2021. The incident, which unfolded on a park bench shortly before 10pm, involved 30-year-old Saad Shiekh from The Spinney, Coventry, who targeted the woman during her evening walk.
According to court proceedings at Warwick Crown Court, Shiekh had spent the afternoon playing cricket before driving into Leamington for a meal. After purchasing petrol, he returned to the town centre and spotted the victim, described by Judge Peter Cooke as having 'blindingly obvious' vulnerabilities. Shiekh approached her, asked to sit on the bench, and engaged her in conversation, even requesting her phone number, which she refused. Prosecutor Paul Fairley noted it was 'inconceivable' that Shiekh, an intelligent man, would not have immediately recognised her vulnerabilities.
Despite this, Shiekh put his arm around her, began touching her leg, placed a finger in her mouth, and groped her breasts both over and under her clothing. He then undid the cord on her waistband and inserted his hand inside her trousers. The assault lasted approximately 15 minutes before Shiekh returned to his car and drove away. The victim promptly called the police, leading to Shiekh's swift arrest.
During initial police interviews, Shiekh made no comment, but after the woman identified him in an identity procedure and his DNA was found on her waistband, he claimed the contact was consensual and alleged she had asked him for money. However, he later pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault. The court heard that Shiekh had no prior convictions but received a caution at age 14 for four sexual assaults on three women, including street assaults and an attack on a 76-year-old woman gardening. Judge Cooke highlighted Shiekh's 'unhealthy interest' in pornography featuring older women, which had surfaced in his teenage years and again in this incident.
In her victim impact statement, the woman, in her 40s, expressed feeling frightened and unwilling to go out anymore. Defending barrister Mohammed Latif argued for a community order or suspended sentence, citing Shiekh's depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies, and ongoing psychotherapy. He conveyed Shiekh's shame and disgust, with his mother fearing for his safety in custody. Nevertheless, Judge Cooke imposed a custodial sentence, stating: 'The lady you approached is an acutely vulnerable person... You sought her out, and I am sure you had only one thing in mind and saw her vulnerability as an opportunity... You used her as a sexual plaything during that quarter of an hour. It is heartrending to read her impact statement.'
The sentencing occurred in September 2021, as reported by The Leamington Observer. Shiekh was jailed for two-and-a-half years and must register as a sex offender for life, underscoring the severity of exploiting such evident vulnerabilities.