Overview
- He was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh, with the term backdated to August 2024 and indefinite placement on the sex offenders register.
- A jury had earlier convicted him of rape and threatening or abusive behaviour for attacking a 17-year-old stranger after approaching her in Cooper Park on August 4, 2024.
- Prosecutors said he pulled her from a bench, led her to a play area and then to bushes, and raped her, while the court rejected his account that the encounter was consensual.
- Defence counsel cited a disputed age, a traumatic history in Afghanistan including capture by the Taliban, and an arduous journey before seeking UK asylum in 2023.
- Police Scotland condemned him as a predatory offender and said the case reinforces a trauma‑informed, victim‑focused approach and efforts to reassure the community.