A Pakistani delivery driver who raped a vulnerable woman shortly after she left hospital in West Sussex has been jailed for eight years and three months.Suleiman Muqish, 27, who was living in the UK on a student visa, carried out the attack in a car park near Worthing Hospital on March 11 after he approached the woman, who came to the hospital drunk, disoriented and unsteady on her feet, the BBC reported, citing Hove Crown Court.The woman tried to hold on to the wall while Mikaish grabbed her and forced her onto the hood of the car before raping her, the court was told.The victim was found by a member of the public a short time later and reported that she had been raped. The police were called, and the woman was able to identify the vehicle in question. Investigators later found a hand and fingerprints from the car.Mukaesh was arrested two days after the attack at Gatwick Airport, where he was found with a one-way ticket to Pakistan.
He later admitted rape at an earlier court hearing.Sentencing him on Tuesday, Judge Christine Henson QC said the victim was “at her most vulnerable” when she was attacked by a stranger in a car park next to the hospital she had just left.The judge said the psychological impact on the woman was severe, adding that she was unable to return to hospital because the incident continued to trigger flashbacks.
During the case, Muqayesh claimed that he stopped after seeing the woman in difficulty and intended to help her. His defense said he claimed the woman asked him for money and that he offered it on the basis of what he described as an understanding that he could do whatever he wanted.However, the defense acknowledged that the woman lacked the capacity to consent.The court heard that Mukaish studied computer science and completed a master’s degree. He was granted postgraduate leave to remain in the UK until 2028.In addition to the prison sentence, Mukaish will remain on extended license for a further three years after his release.