Man jailed for attempting to rape woman in Cheltenham

A man who attempted to rape a woman and sexually assaulted her in Cheltenham earlier this year has been jailed.

Mohammed Sanana was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court on Friday (6 December) after he was found guilty following a trial.

Sanana, formerly of Ambrose Street in Cheltenham, was sentenced to four years in prison.

The court heard how in March this year, 22-year-old Sanana approached two women he did not know who were on a night out together and were walking through the town centre.

He had spotted the pair and offered assistance, and said he could show them where another bar was.

However, when they got to Cheltenham Library on Clarence Street at around 8.30pm, Sanana sexually assaulted one of the women and then attempted to rape her on the steps.

She repeatedly told Sanana no, to go away and she pushed him off. He then left the scene.

Police were called to the scene and searched for him, however he was not located. CCTV and forensic enquiries followed, and Sanana was later identified as the suspect.

When officers went to arrest him at an address, he provided false details and then pushed his way past officers. He ran out of the address but was located nearby and arrested.

He was charged with escaping lawful custody in relation to this, admitted the offence and was sentenced to two months in custody for this.

Following an investigation by the Constabulary's Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team, Sanana was also charged with attempted rape and sexual assault, which he denied.

He was sentenced to four years imprisonment for attempted rape and one year for sexual assault, all to run concurrently. He must serve at least two thirds of his sentence before being eligible to be released.

During a week-long trial at Gloucester Crown Court, Sanana claimed that he knew the woman, that what he did was consensual and that he had not tried to rape her.

The jury did not believe his version of events and unanimously found him guilty on 11 November.

As well as the custodial sentence, Sanana will be also placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

In a statement which the woman provided, she said: "Whilst I had a lot of support throughout the court process, I found everything to do with court very daunting.

"I was able to have my Independent Sexual Violence Advisor be present and support me when I gave evidence and I honestly think I wouldn't have been able to make it through that without her help.

"This entire court process did not need to happen and could have all been avoided if he had just admitted to what he had done instead of fabricating a whole story about meeting me before.

"I hope that he is able to learn from this process and will think twice about his actions in the future. I hope that him being convicted of this offence will help to prevent something like this from ever happening again to someone else in order to protect other people in the future."

Following the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Dave Shore-Nye said: "Sanana is an opportunistic sexual predator who is now rightly behind bars.

"He subjected a woman to a terrifying and unforgivable attack which has impacted her life significantly, and I hope his prosecution and conviction will bring her some sense of justice.

 "I would like to commend the victim for her bravery in coming forward and would encourage anyone who has been affected by sexual violence to speak to us.

“We're committed to targeting perpetrators and tackling violence against women and girls, and we have a team of dedicated staff who will deal with all reports thoroughly and compassionately."

Laura Opie of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) South West Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Team said: "This prosecution could not have happened without the evidence provided by the woman who Sanana assaulted. I would like to thank and commend her for her bravery in coming forward to support the case.

"The CPS is determined to deliver justice for the victims of sexual assault. We want every victim to have the confidence that they will be supported when they report a crime and that the CPS is committed to securing justice for them."

If you have experienced rape, sexual assault or abuse, and wish to report the crime, contact police by calling 101 or 999 in the case of an emergency. You can also report sexual offences online here: https://www.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/

Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre support women dealing with the effects of rape and sexual abuse. For more information visit their website www.glosrasac.org/