In April 2026, the Offender Database recorded that 24-year-old Mohammed Mirzai—an Afghan asylum seeker residing in Perth—was jailed for his “predatory” targeting of lone women on the rail network. Mirzai appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court where he admitted to two counts of sexual assault. It was reported that the investigation established Mirzai assaulted two different women on the 21:45 Scotrail service from Glasgow to Edinburgh just eight days apart in March 2025.
The investigation established a pattern of “cynical” behaviour where Mirzai would sit next to lone female passengers and touch their upper thighs. The prosecution reported that during the first incident on 14 March, his 42-year-old victim challenged him loudly, prompting a witness to take a photograph of Mirzai. This photograph was later circulated by the British Transport Police, leading to his identification by a second victim who had been targeted in an identical manner on 22 March.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Mirzai committed these offences while living at the Radisson Blu hotel in Perth, which was being used to house asylum seekers under Home Office oversight. The investigation established that while on bail for the train assaults, Mirzai committed a further offence at Perth Leisure Pool, where he was caught crawling along the floor to peer into a locked cubicle at a naked swimmer. The prosecution reported that this secondary “voyeuristic” incident resulted in a separate 30-week jail term.
Sheriff-led proceedings at Falkirk Sheriff Court concluded with Sheriff Maryam Labaki labelling Mirzai a “high-risk sexual offender.” For his actions on Scotrail services and the “violation of safety” for women travelling alone, he was sentenced to 10 months in prison. The judge noted that there was “no alternative to a custodial sentence” given the repetitive nature of his offending and his blatant disregard for bail conditions.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in Falkirk and Perthshire, the status of Mohammed Mirzai as of April 10, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: SERVING (10-month term plus 30-week term; currently incarcerated).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for 10 years.
- Earliest Release Date: Circa late 2026 (Following the completion of consecutive custodial terms).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children or vulnerable adults).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Sexual assault x2; Voyeurism).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Falkirk Sheriff Court; investigated by British Transport Police (BTP) and Police Scotland.
- Criminal Record: Targeted lone women on Scotrail trains; Photographed by a witness during a assault; Crawled on a pool floor to spy on a swimmer while on bail.
- Origin: Afghanistan (Nationality); Radisson Blu / Station Hotel, Perth (Former residence).
Monitoring and Public Protection
Mirzai is managed as a high-risk sexual offender within the Scottish prison system. Due to the nature of his conduct—specifically his “serial targeting of lone women in public spaces” and his “voyeuristic tendencies”—his management is a priority for the Police Scotland Public Protection Unit. Authorities state that his escalation from train assaults to pool voyeurism identifies him as an individual who requires the most intensive tier of statutory oversight, including a permanent ban from specific public leisure facilities.
As a registered sex offender for 10 years, the 24-year-old’s details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that the circulation of his photograph was a vital investigative tool in securing justice for his multiple victims. Any eventual consideration for release will be subject to strict licence conditions and potential deportation proceedings by the Home Office, ensuring that the public remains protected from a man who demonstrated a persistent and “predatory intent” toward women in Scotland.
QUESTION – Given that the offender committed a further voyeuristic crime while on bail for sexual assault, do you believe that “Bail Eligibility” should be automatically revoked for anyone charged with sexual offences against strangers?
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