A woman who was allegedly gang raped by three asylum seekers on Brighton beach after a night out has described how she believed she was going to be murdered during the horrific assault. The alleged victim, who was heavily intoxicated, recounted drifting in and out of consciousness as she was repeatedly raped on the pebbles.
Court Hears Disturbing Details of the Attack
In a video interview played to Hove Crown Court, the woman, who is in her 30s and cannot be identified, broke down in tears as she described the traumatic experience. She told police she remembers coming round on the beach with one man lying on her while another orally raped her.
The woman said she was shocked and repeatedly pleaded with her attackers to stop. "I thought: 'What is going on? Why are you doing this to me?' I was like: 'Stop! Stop!'" she told investigators. "I thought: 'Oh my God you're going to kill me.' I said: 'Get off, get off' and he was holding me down. I just closed my eyes. I thought: 'What are you going to do to me now?'"
Predatory Targeting of Vulnerable Woman
The court heard how the three asylum seekers targeted a lone drunk woman in what prosecutors described as a "cynical, predatory and callous" manner. The men, who all arrived in the UK on small boats, allegedly targeted the woman as she left a nightclub in the seaside resort.
The jury was told the woman was so intoxicated she could barely stand and had described herself as "paralytic." After leaving Horizon nightclub around 5am, the "visibly intoxicated" woman was seen staggering along the seafront by the three men. Instead of offering assistance, they led her down to the pebble beach and found a secluded area near a shack.
Three Defendants Face Multiple Charges
Ibrahim Alshafe, 25, from Egypt and Abdulla Ahmadi, 26, from Iran are each charged with two counts of physical rape. The third defendant, Karin Al-Danasurt, 20, faces four counts of rape by encouraging what happened through filming the assault. He is additionally charged with intentionally sharing three films of the alleged attack.
Prosecutor Hanna Llewellyn-Waters told the court the defendants treated the alleged victim like "meat," dragging her onto pebbles in a secluded part of Brighton beach where they took turns to rape her. The woman said she was left bloodied and was drifting in and out of consciousness during the prolonged assault.
Night Out Turned Nightmare
The court heard the incident occurred in October last year after the alleged victim had gone out in Brighton with two friends. The group started drinking at home before making their way to Revolution Bar around midnight, then moving to Horizon nightclub.
The alleged victim continued drinking heavily, consuming vodka and coke, Sambuca shots, and several Jager bombs. She was bought several drinks by two foreign men during the evening. At one point, she bumped into rapper Dappy from N-Dubz and took a selfie with him.
Towards the end of the evening, she became separated from her friend and was sick in the club toilets. When the club closed around 5am, CCTV showed her staggering out onto the street and making her way to a nearby Burger King. As she left the fast food outlet, she was approached by the men and led across the road down a ramp into Brighton beach.
Graphic Evidence Presented in Court
Jurors were shown footage of the "motionless" woman lying on her back with her eyes closed while Ahmadi and Alshafe were penetrating her. One clip found on Al-Danasurt's phone showed Ahmadi covering his face with his hand during the alleged assault.
The woman told police she was worried some men had got her friend and were doing the same to her. "I was thinking: 'Please get them off me, please get off me' and when they stopped I thought: 'I can breathe again, I can breathe again' but I was too scared to even open my eyes," she said.
Defendants Offer Contrasting Accounts
Al-Danasurt told police he barely knew his co-defendants and claimed he videoed what happened because he wanted to capture "potential evidence." He said he did not intervene "because he was in shock and unsure how to react" and insisted he was "really trying to help the woman."
In stark contrast, Ahmadi claimed the woman was fully consenting and had in fact initiated the sexual encounter on the beach with all three men. Alshafe went further, denying being present in Brighton altogether on the night in question.
Background of the Accused
Hove Crown Court heard that Alshafe and Ahmadi had arrived in the UK by small boats in June 2025, while Al-Danasurt had arrived by the same method in October 2024. All three men were staying at the Cisswood House Hotel in Horsham, which is Home Office-approved accommodation for those either seeking or appealing their asylum and immigration status.
The trial continues as the jury considers the evidence presented by both the prosecution and defense teams. The case has drawn significant attention to issues of public safety, the treatment of vulnerable individuals, and the asylum accommodation system in the UK.
