An asylum seeker who roamed the streets of a Scottish city ‘in search of time’ has been discovered responsible of sexually assaulting two younger ladies simply moments aside.
Muhammad Sheikhi, labelled ‘predatory’ by prosecutors, stayed on the similar resort as one other refugee who had been convicted of a schoolgirl’s rape simply months earlier.
He ‘terrified’ and ‘violated’ his victims after they left totally different nightclubs in Falkirk within the early hours of a Sunday morning, a courtroom heard.
The Syrian refugee, 33, denied having sexual contact with the ladies, telling police: ‘Solely animals would do this publicly.’
In addition to the ladies who had been sexually assaulted, a 3rd lady was seen on CCTV being approached by Sheikhi, however went on her manner.
The incidents, on final November 30, got here hours after main immigration demonstrations had been held across the city’s Cladhan Resort which homes asylum seekers.
Emotions had been infected after a refugee from Afghanistan, Sadeq Nikzad, 29, was convicted in June 2025 of raping a 15-year-old woman in Falkirk.
Sheikhi – who arrived in Britain by boat claiming he’d confronted violence in Syria, been shot 4 instances, and was a part of an anti-terror coalition within the nation – was being accommodated within the Cladhan by the Residence Workplace.
Muhammad Sheikhi was discovered responsible of sexual assault
He sexually assaulted his first sufferer, aged 22, beneath a railway bridge as she walked again from the Maniqui nightclub and a short while later, his second, aged 21, within the city’s Bellsmeadow skate park as she walked to a pal’s home from the XOXO nightspot.
Stirling Sheriff Court docket heard Sheikhi had been ‘roaming spherical’ the city centre for hours.
He was arrested in his room on the Cladhan at 6.25 the identical morning.
Via an Arabic interpreter, Sheikhi, who speaks nearly no English, informed police he had been on the streets as a result of ‘I’m only a younger man like all people else who desires to have time’.
A jury of 12 ladies and three males discovered him responsible of each intercourse assaults. They deleted an allegation – that had utilized to the skatepark incident solely – that the sexual assault was carried out with intent to rape.
After a four-day trial, they took simply three hours to return their majority verdicts.
Sheikhi, generally known as ‘Jan’, a barber in Syria, had pleaded not responsible to each prices.
Sheriff Keith O’Mahony deferred sentence till June 29 for background experiences and continued his remand in custody.
He informed him: ‘You’ve gotten been convicted of two very severe prices. So far as this courtroom is anxious you don’t have any earlier convictions, subsequently as a matter of regulation I’m required to acquire experiences earlier than sentencing you.’
Advocate Paul Keenan, defending, reserved mitigation.
Sheikhi confirmed no emotion however clutched at a tissue because the verdicts had been introduced and he was handcuffed to a guard and led to the cells.
Jurors heard Sheikhi’s first sufferer had tried to placate him earlier than the assault, which left her so scared she may ‘hardly discuss and breathe’.
She mentioned was strolling alone alongside Kerse Lane, not removed from the Cladhan, when she heard footsteps behind.
Regardless of rushing up, Sheikhi caught up along with her, tried to speak by way of a cellphone app and ultimately hugged and kissed her, grabbing her bum and sticking his hand beneath her skirt.
Requested by the prosecution how the encounter made her really feel, the lady replied: ‘Actually scared, a bit violated.’
Shortly afterwards Sheikhi approached his second sufferer as she was additionally strolling alone close by.
He took her footwear off breaking them within the course of and as she tried to get away from him by way of the skatepark, he pushed her towards a tree.
She informed the trial he ‘caught his hand up my skirt and beneath my costume’ leaving her ‘terrified’.
The lady mentioned he touched her inappropriately and added: ‘I used to be simply shouting at him to cease and I used to be crying.’
Muhammad Sheikhi was staying on the Cladhan Resort in Falkirk
She made her option to a pal’s close by and ‘pounded’ on his door however her pal, 19, couldn’t discover his keys to let her in and as a substitute held her hand by way of the letterbox whereas phoning her mom to gather her.
On a regular basis Sheikhi stayed a bit of manner off, watching, holding her footwear.
A doorbell digital camera confirmed her crouching, clearly distressed, saying to Sheikhi weepingly: ‘Please can I’ve my footwear again? I simply need to go house, please cease touching me, please go away me alone.’
He solely left when her mom arrived to choose her up.
After his arrest, Sheikhi claimed he had simply been making an attempt to assist her as a result of her footwear had been damaged.
He mentioned: ‘She was closely intoxicated – I may have taken benefit of her however I by no means did.’
The intercourse pest informed investigating officer DC John Thomson he had by no means sought sexual gratification from both of the ladies or had any sexual contact with them.
He mentioned: ‘If anyone had been to do one thing like that, you’d selected a non-public place, not like on the road.
‘Solely animals would do this publicly.’
He added: ‘Once I was strolling every time I see somebody in want of assist, I used to be serving to.’
Prosecutor Jamie Hillend labelled Sheikhi ‘predatory’, pointing to ‘compelling similarities’ between his two crimes.
Sheikhi was positioned on the intercourse offenders register with fast impact.
