The prison term of cab driver Mahdi Ferhane The Bournemouth Rapist convicted of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl, will not be extended.
A government legal expert requested an appeal to review the sentence imposed on Mahdi Ferhane by the Bournemouth Crown Court last month.
The case left Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson in profound shock and disgust.
Nevertheless, the Member of Parliament for Mid Dorset and North Poole chose not to initiate a reference to the Court of Appeal via the overly lenient punishment method.
Mahdi Ferhane, a man with two children, was sentenced to 28 months in prison by Judge William Mousley KC after being unanimously convicted of sexual assault.
The 38-year-old perpetrator was acquitted of charges of attempted rape after a trial in the crown court during April and May.
The Attorney General’s Office spokeswoman stated that the Solicitor General was deeply disturbed and disgusted by this situation.
Upon thorough deliberation, the Solicitor General has determined that referring this case to the Court of Appeal is inappropriate.
The Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme allows for a referral to the Court of Appeal only in cases where the sentence is not only lenient but excessive. This means that the sentencing judge must have made a significant mistake or imposed a sentence clearly outside the range of reasonable sentences for the specific offence.
“The requirement is set at a high level and was not fulfilled in this particular instance.”
According to the findings, Ferhane exploited the vulnerable girl whom he had seen alone in Bournemouth town centre.
Mahdi Ferhane encountered the complainant when he approached her while she was seated on a bench in Old Christchurch Road during the early hours of May 29th of the previous year.
Following a brief talk, the adolescent entered the driver’s seat of his automobile and requested transportation to her residence. However, the accused directed her to a car park on a cliff and demanded that she operate his vehicle.
Subsequently, the accused transported the plaintiff to a property on St Peter’s Road under his ownership.
Within the apartment, he undressed her, applied pressure to her shoulder, positioned her face downwards onto a mattress, and made physical contact with her using his penis.
Mahdi Ferhane transported the adolescent to her residence and invoiced her £12 for the journey as a fare-paying passenger in a taxi.
After the trial, it was revealed that Mahdi Ferhane had previously experienced the revocation of a licence by Bournemouth Borough Council.
In late 2017, the local authority revoked his driver’s license.
In December 2021, he applied for a New Forest District Council licence. He was subsequently authorised to work as a private hire driver, exclusively providing transport for pre-arranged trips.
NFDC’s representative said that Mahdi Ferhane failed to divulge his prior possession of a licence in Bournemouth and that it had been withdrawn.
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