Man who raped sleeping woman at his home in Greenock jailed for five years

A sex predator who raped a sleeping woman has been jailed for five years.

Nooralhuda Yousif Al-Bashir was given a custodial sentence despite a social worker in a pre-sentencing report discussing at “some length” the possibility of him avoiding a prison term.

The 42-year-old had taken advantage of a young woman at his home in Greenock, Inverclyde, on May 29, 2022.

Al-Bashir – originally from Sudan and who arrived in the UK in 2017 – was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow.

He had earlier been convicted at a trial in Edinburgh of raping the victim while she was incapable of consenting.

Lord Young told him: “The jury decided you had taken advantage of her. She had fallen asleep in your bed after returning from a nightclub.

“She was so scared when she awoke to find you having sex with her that she pretended to be asleep until you had finished raping her.

“As she was asleep, she was inherently vulnerable at the time.

“A lengthy custodial sentence is inevitable for such a crime.”

The woman – who had been drinking that night – had ended up back at the property following a night out with friends.

She later asked Al-Bashir if she could have a lie down as she was not feeling well.

The victim recalled: “He said that it was okay and he showed me where the bedroom was.”

It was there that Al-Bashir eventually went on to prey on the young woman.

After her ordeal, she got a taxi home and described feeling “numb”.

Al-Bashir had denied the crime at trial.

His lawyer told the hearing that Al-Bashir was a first offender.

Kenneth Cloggie, defending, also stated: “In terms of sentencing options, the social work report describes in some length the alternatives to custody for Mr Al-Bashir.

“It is perhaps the case that the author of the report did not understand the gravity of the conviction.

“It would be entirely false to suggest to him that anything other than a custodial sentence, a lengthy one, would be merited in this case.

“A large part of this report will have to be disregarded.”

Al-Bashir was also put on the sex offenders list indefinitely.