An asylum seeker living at the Radisson Blu hotel in Perth, known locally as the Station Hotel and used by the Home Office to house asylum seekers, is set to be sentenced after a string of disturbing sexual offences.
Two Women Attacked on ScotRail Trains in Just Over a Week
Mohammed Mirzai, 24, believed to be from Afghanistan, sexually assaulted two women with nearly identical attacks on ScotRail trains between Glasgow Queen Street and Polmont, Stirlingshire. The assaults happened on March 14 and March 22, 2025. Both victims had their upper thighs inappropriately touched during the incidents.
Mirzai was arrested by British Transport Police and pleaded guilty to both offences on Monday.
New Charges While Out on Bail
Shockingly, Mirzai faced further charges while on bail for these attacks. Last October, he committed voyeurism at Perth Leisure Pool, where he crawled on the floor to spy on a disabled woman drying herself in a locked cubicle. The woman caught him staring, leading to his arrest.
His solicitor, Gary McIlravey, said the voyeurism charge is being dealt with separately but is closely linked to the train offences.
Judge Delays Sentence for Risk Assessment
At Perth Sheriff Court, Sheriff Maryam Labaki deferred sentencing until March 26 to allow reports on the risk Mirzai poses. Speaking through an interpreter, translating into Dari, she stressed the seriousness of the charges and warned of a detailed account of the Falkirk attack at the next hearing.
“These are serious charges,” said Sheriff Labaki. “A narration of the facts in the Falkirk case will be given at the next hearing.”
Mirzai’s case has reignited tensions after last August’s protest outside the Radisson Blu, where around 150 locals gathered to demonstrate against the asylum seekers’ presence.
