A Liverpool shop worker has been convicted of sexually assaulting a vulnerable woman who entered his store seeking help when she was stranded after a night out.
Vulnerable woman exploited after night out
The incident occurred in the early hours of a day in March 2025. The woman had been on a night out in Liverpool city centre when her phone battery died as she tried to hail a taxi home. In distress, she entered the Liverpool One Newsagents and Convenience Store on Whitechapel.
Yaaqob Saleh, a 20-year-old employee from Toxteth who was behind the counter, allowed her to charge her device. Prosecutor Michelle Dodd told Liverpool Magistrates' Court that Saleh invited the woman to sit on steps near a heater and the till, then sat beside her.
A distressing assault and its aftermath
Despite the woman rejecting his advances, Saleh began to touch her thigh and asked for a kiss. He managed to kiss her on the cheek. After briefly serving another customer, he returned, sat back down, and put his hand up her skirt, touching her crotch area.
Following this assault, the victim curled up in a ball and began to cry. Once her phone had sufficient charge, she contacted a friend and fled the shop.
In a powerful victim personal statement read to the court, she described the profound psychological impact. "Since this incident, I've experienced a wide and overwhelming range of emotions. Anxiety, depression and anger have been the most persistent," she said.
She detailed a devastating loss of independence and confidence, now relying on her parents to accompany her when going out. "I felt as though a vital part of my identity had been taken away without my consent," she added, explaining she turned to excessive alcohol use to cope, damaging her relationships.
Sentencing delayed over legal representation
Saleh was convicted of sexual assault after a trial. However, his sentencing hearing on Tuesday became fraught when his barrister, Bushra Anwar, indicated an appeal was pending and requested a stay of execution.
District Judge James Hatton refused, stating an appeal did not prevent sentencing. The hearing took a dramatic turn when Judge Hatton questioned Ms Anwar's competency to handle a criminal sentencing for such a serious offence.
When asked if she had the "professional experience and expertise", Ms Anwar admitted, "at the moment, I would say probably not". Judge Hatton concluded it was unfair for Saleh to be represented in that way, stating the starting point was a custodial sentence.
The victim was seen dabbing her eyes with a tissue in the public gallery as the sentencing was postponed until January 29 to allow Saleh to secure different legal representation. He was granted bail until that date on condition he does not contact the victim. The prosecution had urged the court to impose a restraining order.
