Two Men Found Guilty of Attempted Rape and Sexual Assault in Southampton Nightclub Horror
Ramdeen Farooqy, 25, of Harrow, and Pankaj Bangarh, 27, from Hillingdon, London, have been convicted of attempted rape and sexual assault following a shocking incident in Southampton.
Night Out Turns Nightmarish for 18-Year-Old Woman
On the evening of Friday, 3 August 2018, an 18-year-old woman went out drinking with her boyfriend and friends to celebrate a birthday. The group started at a pub before heading to Oceana nightclub in Southampton.
During the night, the woman was seen speaking to a group of unknown men. Around 2am, she was spotted in the car park with two of these men. Her boyfriend called out to stop her, but she was too intoxicated to recognise him and got into their car.
Wakes Up Naked and Confused in Hotel Room
The woman later awoke naked in a room at the Winston Hotel, with the two men she had been with. Still semi-conscious, the men helped her get dressed and, with the hotel manager’s help, escorted her out.
She contacted her mother for her postcode as she couldn’t remember where she lived, and the men then drove her home.
Courage Leads to Convictions, More Charges Dropped
Back home, the woman confided in her parents and feared she had been assaulted. Supported by them, she sought help from the Treetops Sexual Assault Referral Centre and reported the ordeal to police.
After a two-week trial, Farooqy and Bangarh were found guilty of attempted rape and sexual assault. They were acquitted of further sexual assault, rape, and voyeurism charges related to the same incident.
The pair will be sentenced at Southampton Crown Court on 1 July.
“This was undoubtedly a traumatic ordeal,” said Detective Constable Sue Hampton from Operation Amberstone. “I cannot praise the woman enough for her courage and strength throughout this trial. With her help, we secured guilty verdicts and brought these men to justice.”
“Hampshire Constabulary is fully committed to supporting survivors of rape and sexual assault. We work closely with partners like Yellow Door, the Independent Sexual Violence Advocate Service, to ensure victims get the support they need.”
