A court has commended the courage of a survivor of sexual abuse who endured two trials before ultimately witnessing the imprisonment of her assailant, Shahid Mehmood Bradford Paedophile, for eight years.
The unidentified woman delivered a compelling victim personal statement during the sentencing hearing at Bradford Crown Court on Wednesday, detailing the profound impact of the crimes perpetrated against her by Shahid Mehmood.
Shahid Mehmood, residing on Addison Avenue in Bradford, was convicted in his second trial for the offences of causing or encouraging a child under the age of 13 to participate in sexual conduct, as well as five counts of engaging in sexual activity with a minor. He was cleared of one count of sexual assault.
The woman informed the court that Shahid Mehmood’s misconduct had deprived her of her innocence during her childhood, and she continues to have distressing memories and nightmares of the abuse even after several years. She stated, “I previously believed that the blame was mine, but I now understand that this notion is entirely unfounded.”
According to her, Shahid Mehmood consistently avoided taking any responsibility and deceived her, causing her further hardship by forcing her to attend court and relive the incidents.
Recorder Ben Nolan KC acknowledged that Shahid Mehmood, 52, continued to assert his innocence after being convicted of a series of heinous sexual offences. According to the statement, Mehmood, who had no prior criminal records, was questioned by the police in January 2019 and categorically denied committing the crimes.
“Your persistent denials have continued until the present day,” the judge stated.
It has been more than four years since your arrest. There has been a substantial delay, partly due to the pandemic and partly due to your denials. The impact on the complainant has undoubtedly been significant. She courageously and gracefully read her victim’s statement this morning.
Judge Nolan sentenced Shahid Mehmood to eight years in prison and also issued an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
Shahid Mehmood, who will be required to serve a minimum of two-thirds of his prison sentence, will be had to register as a sex offender with the police permanently. Additionally, he must adhere to an indefinite restraining order.
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