Bolton rapist targeted vulnerable man in his own home

Said Yahja is facing a lengthy period in jail for his crimes in May last year.

Bolton Crown Court heard how Said Yahja approached the home of his 20-year-old victim and said he had a knife in order to force his way in.

While there he carried out one rape at around 3am in the morning, went to sleep inside the property, and carried out a further rape later at around 8am.

The victim, known to have mental health difficulties, made his way out of the property and was followed by Yahja. The man went to a police station he expected to be open but found it had shut down.

He was later able to flag down a police officer in the street and report what had happened.

Yahja denied the offences at a trial but was convicted by a jury of two counts of rape.

Wayne Jackson, prosecuting, said aggravating factors in the cases included that the victim was a vulnerable man in his own home and the threats of violence, including mention of a knife.

Timothy Jacobs, defending, said his Yahja’s life had been difficult.

He said: “He has reported hearing voices, there is no diagnosis. He had seen some horrific acts on a fairly recent visit to family to Somalia.”

He added that Yahja was facing likely deportation to Holland, from where he came to the UK in around 2006, as a result of the conviction and had become estranged from his family as a result of choices he had made in life.

Passing sentence, Recorder Philip Grundy said Yahja lacked any empathy.

He said: “The jury convicted you of two counts, that you raped him in his home, the first in his bedroom at about 3am in the morning, and at 8.30am the following morning in the kitchen. You lack any empathy or understanding for others.”

He said despite there not being a victim impact statement, he could see at the trial the effect on the victim who banged the Bible in court to say he was telling the truth.

Yahja, of Hibernia Street, Bolton, was jailed for nine years and placed him on the sex offenders’ register for life.