A 31-year-old Leeds man has been locked up for seven and a half years after being found guilty of raping a young man in the city centre.
Abdi Wahab Abdulla Found Guilty of Rape and Attempted Rape
Abdi Wahab Abdulla, from Harehills Avenue, Leeds, was convicted following a four-day trial at Leeds Crown Court. He faced charges of rape, attempted rape, and theft from the same victim. Abdulla had already admitted to stealing from the victim.
The attack took place on the morning of 14 January 2023. The victim, then 19, fell asleep inside Queens Arcade after a night out. CCTV footage shows Abdulla entering the arcade and rifling through the sleeping man’s pockets.
Chilling CCTV Shows Abdulla’s Actions Before Attacks
The victim woke up as Abdulla searched him. Abdulla then helped him up and walked out with him. The horror escalated as Abdulla followed the victim, threatening him with a knife before sexually assaulting him near the Merrion Centre.
He then attempted to rape the victim again in Woodhouse Moor Park. After the assaults, the victim realised his phone, keys, and credit card were missing.
Police Act Quickly After Victim Reports Assault
The victim reported the crimes to the police the same day. Officers identified Abdulla from CCTV and arrested him on 12 February 2023. A forensic DNA match sealed his fate.
Abdulla will now serve his prison sentence and must register as a sex offender.
