Savage Yorkshire rapist tracked victim down and threatened to kill her if she did not withdraw police complaint

This is the face of a remorseless rapist who, after subjecting his victim to barbaric sex attacks, threatened to kill her and her family if she did not withdraw her complaint to police.

After subjecting the complainant to a series of wicked crimes, including multiple counts of rape, 28-year-old Farman Ali did not stop there.

Upon learning the complainant had found the strength to come forward and tell police what he had done, Ali tracked her down.

He made a series of chilling threats, leaving her in fear that he would murder both her, and her parents, if she continued to pursue charges against him.

Sheffield Crown Court heard how he even dictated messages, forcing the complainant to tell the investigating officer in the case that she no longer wished to support the prosecution.

Despite the fear she felt, the courageous complainant still told police of Ali’s attempts to force her to withdraw her complaint against him.

Cowardly Ali, of The Oval, Longley, Sheffield, also sought to deny responsibility once again through his guilty pleas, taking the case to trial.

Jurors rejected his account to find him guilty of several crimes, including a number of sex offences and a charge of intimidating a witness.

On Thursday (Oct 1), Ali was forced to listen in silence to every word the complainant had to say, through her moving, and heart-rending statement, which was read to his sentencing hearing.

“I don’t feel alive anymore. Everything feels unreal, like I’m watching my life from far away,” said the complainant, who is entitled to lifelong anonymity.

She added: “I feel like a part of me died a long time ago, and will never come back.”

Handing Ali a 20-year prison sentence, Judge David Dixon told him “any expressions of remorse” advanced on his behalf amounted to an attempt to “persuade the court to be more lenient towards you.”

Defending, Andrew Petterson acknowledged little could be said on Ali’s behalf, but asked Judge Dixon to take his lack of previous convictions, and the fact this will be his first prison sentence, into consideration.

As he sent Ali to begin his lengthy jail term, Judge Dixon praised the complainant for her fortitude.

He said: “You are an incredibly brave and strong woman to have come forward.

“If there is nothing else to take away from this, you may have been weak at the time but you are absolutely not now. I wish you well for the future.”

Ali was assisted in his abuse of the victim by two women, Zarina Zarina, 60, and Saadia Mohammad, 43.

They were both sentenced on to three years and two months’ imprisonment on Thursday.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Peter Bazley, from South Yorkshire Police, said: “First and foremost, I would like to recognise the immeasurable strength the victim in this case had in coming forward and reporting this abhorrent abuse.

“I am thankful for the faith she put in the police to secure justice and would also like to thank the entire team involved in this investigation for their immense dedication.

“Two decades in prison is the least this sick and abusive man deserves, and I am glad that the women who aided him in his crimes will also spend time behind bars.

“I would like to reassure others who may have experienced sexual violence that we take all reports seriously and will do everything we can to secure justice for victims.”