Man jailed for raping woman in Darwen

Imran Ayyaz, formerly of Lynwood Road, Blackburn, raped his victim at an address in Darwen on July 30, 2023.

The woman awoke to find Ayyaz raping her and repeatedly told him to stop. Only after screaming at him, did Ayyaz stop his attack.

The 29-year-old was arrested the following day and provided a pre-prepared statement denying any wrongdoing. He then refused to answer any questions that were put to him by the interviewing officers.

Ayyaz was charged with rape but continued to deny the offence at his trial at Preston Crown Court last week.

He was found guilty by a jury on Friday (April 11) and returned to the same court yesterday where he was jailed for seven years.

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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DC Alyson Richards, of Lancashire Police, said: “Ayyaz is a dangerous individual who took advantage of his victim while she was in an extremely vulnerable state.

“He knew she was not consenting to what he was doing and continued his lies during his police interview and throughout the trial. The jury saw through those lies and delivered a guilty verdict.

“I want to take this opportunity to praise the victim for her bravery throughout this process and for trusting the police to hold the man who raped her to account and put him before the courts.

“I hope the outcome of this case encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward, confident that you will be believed and listened to, and that we will do everything in our powers to put the perpetrator before the courts.”

If you or somebody you know has been the victim of a sexual offence, report it online via https://doitonline.lancashire.police.uk/ or call 101. If a crime is in progress, always call 999.