Mohammed Abu Hurayra Anik, 24, of Stepney, E1, was found guilty on three counts of rape, one count of assault by penetration, one count of attempted rape, three counts of actual bodily harm, two counts of controlling or coercive behaviour, and one count of threatening to disclose private photographs or videos at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday, 26 January.
On Wednesday, 1 February, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison by the same court.
The investigating officer, Detective Constable Charlotte Henderson, stated, “Anik is a controlling predator who subjected the victim, a woman he knew, to repeated abuse and suffering over a five-month period.
He, like all sexual offenders, is a coward. Her courage in reporting and persevering through the court process, despite the risks to her own mental and physical wellbeing, protects others from being targeted by Anik.” He tried to lie and manipulate his way out of trouble, claiming the bruises he had inflicted on the victim were due to a “skin condition,” denying sexual offences and blaming arguments on the victim, and attempting to use cultural shame and the release of private images of her to silence her.
The offences started in February 2022.
On one occasion, on 15 July 2022, the couple was walking along the Thames riverside in Wapping when Anik launched an attack in which he punched her all over her body, tied her hands together, and raped her.
This was the final straw for the victim, who had been subjected to rape and mental and physical abuse, including being threatened with a knife on several occasions. Anik would also track her phone and show up outside her workplace unexpectedly and uninvited.
On July 22, 2022, Anik was apprehended by police. The next day, he was charged and remanded to prison to await trial. After a three-week trial, a unanimous verdict was reached on all counts.
