A vile predator who filmed a woman being raped on Brighton beach by his two accomplices was in the UK to avoid jail after being convicted of murder in Egypt, prosecutors have said.
Guilty Verdicts
Karin Al-Danasurt, 20, was found guilty of four counts of rape as a secondary party by encouraging and filming the horrific attack in October last year. The victim was targeted as she was 'staggering in the street' and 'incapacitated' in the early hours of October 4, Hove Crown Court heard. She reported hearing laughter during the assault.
Al-Danasurt was convicted alongside Ibrahim Alshafe, 25, and Abdulla Ahmadi, 26, who were each found guilty of two counts of rape. The three men entered the UK after crossing the Channel by boat and had pending asylum claims.
Murder Conviction Details
Details of Al-Danasurt's alleged past crimes surfaced at a plea hearing in November last year, but the judge withdrew the evidence after his defence contested the conviction. Prosecutors told the court Al-Danasurt had been convicted of murder in his absence in Egypt, and his asylum claim was based on fleeing to 'evade a lengthy custodial sentence'. However, his defence barrister claimed it was his brother who had the murder conviction, not him. They added that the UK Government’s assessment of Egypt indicates that a person openly critical of the government may face serious harm. Consequently, the evidence was not heard by jurors due to the dispute.
On Thursday, prosecutor Hanna Llewellyn-Waters KC informed the court of 'ongoing inquiries at a very senior level' regarding Al-Danasurt's crimes abroad. She noted he received a caution in the UK for criminal damage in April last year but could not provide further details.
Judge Christine Henson KC was told it was 'not a foregone conclusion that these defendants will be deported', with the prosecutor adding 'I am not the Home Office' when asked about reports to determine if the rapists meet the threshold for extended sentences. Following the verdicts, border security and asylum minister Alex Norris stated: 'Once sentencing has taken place, we will move to deport them off British soil.'
At the time of the attack, the three defendants knew each other and were living in Home Office-approved hotel accommodation for asylum seekers in Lower Beeding near Horsham, West Sussex. Al-Danasurt was born in Egypt and attended school there until around age 11, leaving for the UK in June 2022.
