Two Men Found Guilty of Attempted Rape and Sexual Assault in Southampton Nightclub Case
Ramdeen Farooqy, 25, from Harrow, and Pankaj Bangarh, 27, of Hillingdon, were convicted of attempted rape and sexual assault following a chilling incident in Southampton.
The Night of Horror
On Friday, 3 August 2018, an 18-year-old woman went out with her boyfriend and friends to celebrate a birthday in Southampton. The group started at a pub before heading to Oceana nightclub.
Inside the club, the woman was seen chatting with a group of unknown men. By around 2am the next morning, she was spotted in the car park with two of these men. Despite her boyfriend’s attempts to stop her, she, intoxicated, got into a car with them. The vehicle then drove off.
Waking Up in Terror
The woman awoke the following morning naked in a room at the Winston Hotel, still foggy and slipping in and out of consciousness. Two men, unknown to her, helped her get dressed and left the hotel with assistance from staff. She phoned her mum for her postcode before the men drove her home.
Upon returning, she revealed to her parents she had no memory of the nightclub or what followed but suspected she had been sexually assaulted. With her family’s support, she contacted the Treetops Sexual Assault Referral Centre and reported the crime to police the next day.
Justice Served After Tough Trial
Operation Amberstone officers launched a swift investigation. After a two-week trial, both Farooqy and Bangarh were found guilty of attempted rape and sexual assault but cleared of related rape and voyeurism charges.
The pair will return to Southampton Crown Court on 1 July for sentencing.
Detective Constable Sue Hampton of Operation Amberstone said: “This was undoubtedly a traumatic ordeal for the woman concerned and I cannot praise her enough for the courage and bravery she has shown in coming forward and reporting what happened to her and for the strength she has shown throughout the trial.”
“With her help, we have been able to secure guilty verdicts and bring these two men to justice.”
“I hope this outcome offers a degree of comfort to the woman and helps her move on in her life.”
“Hampshire Constabulary is committed to supporting survivors of rape and sexual assault. We will do everything we can to identify offenders and put them in front of a court.
“We work closely with the Independent Sexual Violence Advocate Service, Yellow Door, to ensure victims get the support they need throughout investigations. We hope this case encourages others to come forward.”
