Hove rapist sentenced to seven years in youth custody

A rapist from Hove was sentenced to seven years in a young offender institution by a judge at Brighton Crown Court today (Thursday 31 May).

Karam Majdi, 19, of Seafield Road, Hove, denied raping a 14-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl in separate attacks.

He was convicted by a jury of raping the 14-year-old at a hostel in Croydon and acquitted of raping the 15-year-old, from Brighton, at his flat close to Hove seafront.

His victim, who has turned 15 since she was attacked last November, spoke about what had happened to her in a victim impact statement which Henrietta Paget, prosecuting, read to the court.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “Last year I lost my dad which left me feeling devastated.

“One night … I suffered another devastating incident when I was raped.”

Since Majdi – known to her as Mano Love – held her down and raped her, she had become anxious about going out and being on her own, she said. She had started having nightmares.

The girl said: “The injuries I sustained were so bad. I can’t explain the pain. I struggled to wee and it hurt to walk.

“He’s a horrible person and disgusting … He is scum. Someone I hate … I hate him for what he’s done to me.

“It’s something I’m going to have to live with for the rest of my life.”

Judge Shani Barnes, the honorary recorder of Brighton and Hove, told Majdi: “What you did to her was opportunistic and vile.

“You didn’t care that your friend was there and despite (the girl’s) protestations, despite her physically trying to fight you off, you raped her. She was trapped.

“Her inner and outer thighs were black and blue. She was physically crushed.”

Discreetly using her phone, she tried to contact her friends “and begged for someone to help her”.

Judge Barnes said: “Her impact statement … was heartbreaking.

“This was a prolonged, sustained incident. And in the middle of the night she had nowhere to go.”

Describing Majdi, also known as Karam Alaldi, as “young and immature” but also dangerous to girls, she imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order on him. The order is aimed at preventing him from contacting and being alone with girls under 16.

After serving half his sentence he would either be released on licence or deported, the judge said.

Majdi, who had his head in his hands as he was sentenced, came to Britain two and a half years ago, claiming to be an unaccompanied minor from Syria.

His application for asylum was turned down by the Home Office and his solicitors withdrew their representation after an assessment concluded that he talked like an Egyptian.

In mitigation, Tom Nicholson Pratt said that his instructions were that Majdi had lost his father in the fighting in Syria.

His older brother and his mother still lived in Syria but sent Majdi to Britain because “it was too dangerous for him to remain in Aleppo”.

Ms Paget told the court that extensive inquiries had failed to persuade the Home Office to discuss Majdi’s case properly.

She said: “The fact that someone is in custody and on trial for rape is apparently no justification for revealing their their immigration status.”

The judge said: “That’s an extraordinary attitude.”

After sentencing Majdi, she spoke to the victim who wiped away tears as the judge said: “You are very strong and you are very brave and you are not going to let this affect you for the rest of your life.”

Two people, believed to be friends of Majdi, are under investigation for contempt of court or taking photographs in court after images from the trial were posted online.

It was suggested that they might have intimidated a witness or have tried to pervert the course of justice.

Judge Barnes said: “(The victim) was afraid to come to court. This was a direct interference in the case.”