A woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted on a Brighton beach has told a court she was dragged onto the sand and filmed during the attack. The 33-year-old complainant described her alleged assailants as wicked men who devastated her life.
Ibrahim Alshafe and Abdulla Ahmadi stand accused of repeatedly raping the woman on Brighton beach in the early hours of October 4 last year, with Karin Al-Danasurt allegedly recording the assault. Sussex Police confirmed the victim was attacked at the lower esplanade during the early hours of Saturday, October 4.
The court was told all three accused were acquaintances residing at the Cisswood House Hotel in Lower Beeding near Horsham, which operated as Home Office-designated accommodation for asylum seekers at the time of the alleged offences. Video evidence showing the men in their accommodation was presented to jurors, along with three clips captured by Egyptian national Al-Danasurt documenting the alleged assault.
According to testimony, after returning to their hotel by bus, the trio filmed themselves enjoying a barbecue on the premises just hours later. The 20-year-old defendant explained through an interpreter that all three travelled together to Brighton. He claimed he remained in the city after missing the final service back to Horsham and visited the Horizon nightclub just before 3.30am, encountering the other two accused before leaving at the 5am closing time.
Al-Danasurt maintained he attempted to pull the men away from the woman and only filmed the incident to collect evidence for authorities. He also rejected allegations he spat on the complainant.
The court heard that small boat arrival Alshafe, aged 25, allegedly sexually assaulted another woman at the Horizon venue and informed her he was seeking a British wife. The Egyptian defendant reportedly touched the young woman and stated he did not wish to return to his homeland, adding that he had come to Britain to wed a local woman and obtain citizenship.
Jurors were informed Iranian Kurd Ahmadi, 26, departed from the Sussex hotel the day following the barbecue. A representative stated he left on October 5 in an unauthorised departure and was recorded as having absconded. Despite efforts by asylum accommodation staff, he did not return. He provided a Crewe address to the hotel before being apprehended there on October 12.
The court heard that Alshafe crossed into Britain aboard a small vessel on June 19 last year alongside Ahmadi, with both admitted to the hotel from June 21.
Both Alshafe and Ahmadi have each denied two counts of rape.
Al-Danasurt faces joint charges across all four rape counts as a secondary participant encouraging the rapes through his conduct at the scene, including the filming, and has entered not guilty pleas to all four matters. He also denies a fifth charge of disseminating intimate recordings without the complainant’s permission. The allegation centres on claims he transmitted footage of the alleged rapes to Ahmadi’s mobile device via Snapchat shortly after the incident.
The case continues at Lewes Crown Court in Hove.