Sex offender jailed for five years after assaulting a woman in North Tyneside

Khaled Ibrahim, 46, encountered the victim in March 2022 after she had become separated from her friends on a night out.

Ibrahim took the woman’s hand and offered to help her, however he then tried to remove her clothing, kissed her without her consent, then going on to sexually assault her.

The victim managed to push Ibrahim off and run to a stranger’s house, where she immediately disclosed what had happened to her.

After being identified from CCTV, Ibrahim was arrested and questioned in connection with the report but denied any wrongdoing.

Following a long and complex investigation by the Force’s Safeguarding Department, in April last year, Ibrahim was charged with one count of sexual assault.

Following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court in August, he was found guilty of the offence.

He returned to the same court last Wednesday (September 10) where he was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.

Ibrahim will also spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

In a Victim Personal Statement (VPS) provided to the court, the victim described how the incident had impacted her life in a number of ways.

She said: “I am very cautious about who I speak to in general, but I feel I have been forced to put a barrier up now and have had panic attacks in public since this incident making me feel extremely vulnerable whilst out in public alone.

“Because this was a stranger offence I am worried I will bump into the suspect. I have not been sleeping properly and have been suffering from nightmares regularly. These nightmares got worse over the week leading up to court.

“I have had trouble maintaining friendships with male friends, people I should be able to trust. My mind wonders all the time questioning if I am safe in other peoples’ company.

“I am really struggling to come to terms with what happened to me.”

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Caroline Ross, of Northumbria Police, said: “Ibrahim is clearly a predatory man who was on the lookout for someone vulnerable that night which he unfortunately found.

“I want to praise the victim in this case who trusted police by making that first report and allowed us to act for her and bring her attacker to justice.”

Det Con Ross added: “Ibrahim now has the rest of his life ahead of him on the Sex Offenders’ Register so everyone will know what he is and how he behaves.

“We hope the outcome sends a clear message to others who may consider committing these types of crimes – we won’t tolerate this it and we will do everything we can to put you before the courts.”