Ipswich Man Jailed For Double Rape
17 October 2014, 14:02 | Updated: 17 October 2014, 14:09
An Ipswich man has been sentenced to eight years after raping a woman in Ipswich.
Ali Shaboot, aged 40 from Freehold Road, Ipswich appeared at Norwich Crown Court on trial charged with two counts of rape relating to an incident in Ipswich at around 2.25am on Sunday 20 April and was found guilty of both offences on Wednesday 15 October.
A woman had reported to police that after spending an evening out in town she had been approached by a man in Dogs Head Street who offered her a cigarette and spoke to her before she started to make her way home.
Shaboot followed the woman, pushed her against a wall and attempted to kiss her. The woman tried to push him off but he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into an alleyway off a car park in Lower Brook Street.
The woman was raped twice by Shaboot before he left the scene.
The victim sought help from a person nearby who in turn alerted the incident to Town Pastors who had been working in the area.
Police attended and cordoned an area off in Lower Brook Street in order for Crime Scene Investigators to gather forensic material and officers to carry out an investigation.
As part of their enquiries police viewed CCTV footage from the surrounding area and were able to identify an image of a man matching the victim’s description who had been in the area at the time.
Further enquiries led police to arrest and later charge Ali Shaboot.
Today
At Norwich Crown Court, Shaboot was sentenced to two eight year jail terms to run concurrently.
Detective Constable Andy Dibbs who investigated the case said:
"Ali Shaboot preyed on the vulnerability of a young woman who was on her own after a night out with friends. He overpowered her with his strength and abused her when she wasn’t in a position to fight him off.
Reliving an experience such as this is never easy for a victim of sexual assault and she has shown great strength to be able to give her account of what happened that night.
Shaboot denied any wrong doing and the jury found that he was guilty. I hope the verdict at court today will help the victim to come to terms with what she has been through and that with support can further her recovery from this horrendous ordeal."
Detective Sergeant Darren Bruce who overseas rape and serious sexual assault investigations said:
"Suffolk Police take all allegations of rape seriously and will carry out full and thorough investigations to ensure those responsible are brought to justice. We, together with our partners will also ensure that victims who come forward will receive the necessary help and support they need."