Asylum seeker who filmed rape on Brighton seashore ‘was convicted of murder in Egypt’, court docket informed | EUROtoday

An asylum seeker who filmed a girl being raped on Brighton seashore was convicted of homicide in Egypt, in line with prosecutors.

Karin Al-Danasurt, 20, was discovered responsible of 4 counts of rape as a secondary social gathering by encouraging and filming the brutal assault in October final yr.

The Egyptian nationwide was convicted after a trial at Hove Crown Court alongside Ibrahim Alshafe, 25, and Iranian Abdulla Ahmadi, 26, who had been every discovered responsible of two counts of rape.

The trio all arrived within the UK after crossing the Channel by boat and had selections pending on asylum claims.

Details of Al-Danasurt’s previous crimes emerged at a plea listening to in November final yr, forward of the trial, however the choose withdrew the proof from the case after his defence group contested the conviction.

At the time, prosecutors informed the court docket Al-Danasurt had been convicted of homicide in his absence in Egypt, including that the idea of his asylum declare was that he fled the nation to “evade a lengthy custodial sentence”.

But his defence barrister mentioned it was the truth is his brother who had the conviction for homicide, not him.

They added that the UK Government’s evaluation of Egypt is that an individual who’s brazenly crucial of the federal government is prone to be vulnerable to severe hurt.

As a outcome, the proof was not heard by jurors throughout the trial due to the dispute.

On Thursday, prosecutor Hanna Llewellyn-Waters KC informed the court docket there have been “ongoing inquiries at a very senior level” about Al-Danasurt’s crimes overseas, including he had additionally been given a warning within the UK for felony harm in April final yr however mentioned she was “not in a position” to supply any extra element.

She additionally informed Judge Christine Henson KC it was “not a foregone conclusion that these defendants will be deported”, including “I am not the Home Office” when requested about studies to find out whether or not the rapists meet the brink for prolonged sentences.

But within the wake of the verdicts, border safety and asylum minister Alex Norris mentioned: “Once sentencing has taken place, we will move to deport them off British soil.”

At the time of the assault, all three defendants knew one another and had been dwelling at Home Office-approved resort lodging for asylum seekers in Lower Beeding close to Horsham, West Sussex.

The trial heard that Ahmadi and Alshafe met one another whereas crossing the Channel from France and arrived within the UK on June 19 2025.

Jurors had been informed Al-Danasurt arrived within the UK on September 21 2024 however weren’t informed how he got here to be within the nation.

The trial heard that Alshafe’s asylum software had been refused on October 3, however he informed the court docket he didn’t know in regards to the replace to his case earlier than going to Brighton that night time.

Giving proof, he mentioned he was from the port metropolis of Alexandria in Egypt, the place he lived together with his dad and mom and two sisters.

He left college with out formal educational {qualifications} and labored as a carpenter, and likewise did navy conscription for 3 years.

He mentioned he wished to make a greater future for himself. Asked if his plan was to return to the UK to do this, he mentioned: “Yes.”

Al-Danasurt was born in Egypt and went to high school there till across the age of 11, and left Egypt to return to the UK in June 2022.

Ahmadi informed jurors he left Iran as a result of he was working for a Kurdish opposition social gathering and was found by safety police who went to search for him at his residence and requested his mom the place he was.

“If I hadn’t left, I would have been arrested and been killed,” he mentioned by a Kurdish Sorani interpreter.

Ahmadi had not been to high school and had acquired training solely since he had been in jail, the court docket heard.

His father died when he was 13 and he labored as a labourer and farmer in Iran.

The UK has jail switch agreements with greater than 110 international locations which permit for international prisoners to serve their sentences of their residence international locations, however Iran is just not one in all them.

But its settlement with Egypt is voluntary, the place the prisoner being transferred should comply with the transfer, in addition to each states.

An Early Removal Scheme (ERS) permits eligible international prisoners, who’re serving determinate sentences, to be deported from the UK sooner than serving their full sentence.

Under present legislation most international nationals in jail will be thought-about for elimination after serving 30% of their custodial sentence.

Once they’re eliminated underneath ERS they aren’t imprisoned of their residence nation however are banned from returning to the UK. If they return they must serve the remainder of their sentence from earlier than they had been deported.

Border safety and asylum minister Alex Norris mentioned: “My thoughts are first and foremost with the victim of this appalling crime, and with all those who have been affected by it.

“What she endured is deeply disturbing, and I commend her bravery in coming forward and reporting these vile individuals. I share the public’s outrage in their horrendous actions.

“The perpetrators have now been rightly convicted, and justice has been delivered by the courts. Once sentencing has taken place, we will move to deport them off British soil.”

The Egyptian authorities have been contacted for remark.