More than 8 years in prison for rapist

A man who raped a girl in the back of a shop he worked at has been sentenced to eight years and three months in prison.

The hearing at Lincoln Magistrates' Court heard that Waheed Ali, 28, of Boultham Avenue, took her into the back of the shop in Burton Road in Lincoln, where he attacked her at around 5.30pm on 10 June this year.

Following a fast-paced investigation which included the help of witnesses and social media, Ali was identified, located and arrested early the following morning, within nine hours of the initial report.  

Ali was interviewed at 8.30pm on the day of his arrest, and gave no comment answers. 

He was charged at 4.53pm on 12 June and remanded into custody.

The victim's DNA was later proven to have been found on samples taken from Ali. 

He was due to stand trial this week, but changed his plea to guilty of rape on Friday 10 November. 

A minimum of 50 people working thousands of hours have been involved on bringing Ali to justice, from Senior officers to Response officers, custody staff, call takers, and forensic medical examiners, to detectives, cyber investigators, intermediaries, lawyers from the Crown Prosecution Service, and laboratory scientists.

Today, he has been sentenced to eight years and three months in prison, and also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). 

DC Maria Ryder led the investigation. She said: “Police work is team work and everyone involved ensured justice could be served in this case. It was a relief to be able to call the family and say that not only had he pleaded guilty, but he’d pleaded guilty to this most serious offence.

"While I’m pleased this has spared the victim having to go through a trial, she not only suffered the abuse from the defendant, but also had to go through months of preparation for the trial, and that takes bravery and resilience. His sentence today will hopefully bring some closure for her as she now looks to the future.” 

If you’ve been a victim of rape or sexual assault, please report it as soon as possible. Even if you’re not 100 per cent sure, we’d sooner hear from you so that we can make sure you’re safe. If you’re not ready to talk to the police just yet, that’s OK.

You can find a range of places to get support, advice, and medical help.  Full details of organisations you can speak to in confidence can be found on our website; what you tell them won't be shared.