SNS GroupA man who drugged and raped a 17-year-old after luring her to a flat in Glasgow just months after sexually assaulting another teenager has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years.
Hisham Awad attacked the second victim after inviting her to a non-existent party at his flat and telling her that others, including a mutual friend, would be there in January last year.
But once she arrived at the 30-year-old’s flat on Maryhill Road, he was there alone.
Awad gave her a cup of juice which he had spiked with MDMA and methylone before using scissors to cut off her clothes and subjecting her to a horrific attack while she was under the influence of the drugs.
A judge said that after the victim was given a drink laced with drugs she had the presence of mind to go to the bathroom and text her boyfriend with a plea to contact the police.
Lord Boyd of Duncansby said: “Unfortunately she succumbed to the stupefying effect of the drugs before the police arrived.”
Awad also sexually assaulted an 18-year-old who fell asleep on a couch just months earlier.
The judge told him at the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday: “The use of drugs to overcome your victim is alarming.”
He added that it was potentially dangerous and demonstrated planning in the commission of the crime.
Lord Boyd ordered that Awad should be under supervision for a further three-year period and told him he would be on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely following his sentencing.
The 17-year-old was invited to the ‘party’ by Awad on Facebook messenger.
During her journey to his home she received a phone call from him, during which she heard voices in the background which convinced her that others were present.
But when she turned up shortly after midnight on she found he was alone.
He offered her a soft drink and alcohol but she declined both.
Awad produced a carton of pineapple juice and took a drink of it. He left the room and returned with a small glass and poured pineapple juice into it before handing it to the teenager who took a drink from it.
Within minutes she felt tired and started to yawn and Awad told her she could sleep on the bed and he would take a couch.
She changed into pyjama bottoms and lay down on the bed but began to feel very hot.
Awad brought the carton of pineapple juice and told her to drink it which she did. She began to feel dizzy and went to the bathroom.
Advocate depute Mark Mohammed said: “Suspecting that she had been drugged she sent a message to her boyfriend asking him to contact the police because she was scared.
“She returned to the bedroom and Awad began attacking her as she repeatedly told him “no”.
The teenager became afraid as she realised she could not move her jaw or body.
She heard the sound of snipping and the clang of metal off the floor and realised that her pyjama bottoms had been cut open.
Awad was speaking to her throughout the ordeal but she could not understand what he was saying.
The court heard that there was knocking at the door and Awad told her to answer it.
She was met by police officers who had been sent to the property.
Mr Mohammed said: “She immediately disclosed that she had been drugged and raped by the accused.”
Awad was arrested and told officers that both he and the teenager had been taking drugs.
The carton and glass were later forensically examined and were found to contain MDMA, a class A drug commonly known as ecstasy and methylone.
Kitchen porter Awad earlier admitted raping the girl and assaulting his first victim on August 5, 2020, in a sex attack at another flat in Maryhill.
The 18-year-old had been there with others watching TV, listening to music and drinking.
Awad was also present when the teenager fell asleep on a couch.
She woke up with a feeling of pain and realised that her jeans, pants and boots had been removed.
She found Awad sitting beside her on the couch and he repeatedly told her: “It’s fine. It’s fine.”
She asked where her clothes were and Awad handed them to her.
She woke up a friend who was asleep in a bedroom and was distressed, shaking and crying when she told her that Awad had tried to do something to her.
The two females left the house and while waiting for a taxi the attack victim called her father who described her as “sobbing her heart out”.
Defence counsel Mark Stewart QC said a report on Awad concluded he was unable to provide any meaningful insight into the reasons for his behaviour.
He said Awad’s guilty pleas meant the victims did not require to attend to give evidence in the case.
The defence counsel said: “He has a record of offending but he does not have any record of previous sexual offences.”
Awad’s record includes convictions for being concerned in the supply of drugs, theft and breaching bail.
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
