Two Afghan nationals raped a woman at knifepoint during a terrifying attack in an east London park after approaching her while she was star gazing with a date.
Afghani Khan Agah and Noorullah Ahmdzai attacked the woman in Barking Park at around 11pm on August 16 last year, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.
The pair pinned her down after confronting her and told her they “just wanted to have some fun with her”.
Ahmdzai, 26, raped the woman while Agah held a Swiss Army-style knife to her date’s throat and threatened to kill him if he called police.
The pair then switched roles, with Agah also assaulting the woman while her date was held at knifepoint.
Prosecutors said the woman was suffocated during the “petrifying and awful” attack, which left her “numb”.
The victim had met her date through an online dating app around two weeks earlier.
She told the trial she had been lying in his arms beneath the stars after he had serenaded her with his guitar when the two men approached.
Nutan Fatania, prosecuting, said the defendants had treated the woman as an “object they could use and abuse”.
She said the pair had approached two strangers who were lying together and overpowered them before carrying out the attack.
The woman’s date was allegedly threatened with the words: “I will kill you right now.”
He was unable to call police while the assault was taking place because of the knife being held against him.
DNA recovered from the victim’s clothing following the attack was used by police to establish the defendants’ involvement.
Ahmdzai claimed the woman had offered to have sex with the pair for £20, but a jury rejected his account after deliberating for nine hours.
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Both men were convicted of two counts of rape, two counts of threatening with a knife, assault by penetration and false imprisonment.
They are due to be sentenced in October, with Judge Leslie Cuthbert warning they face “lengthy custodial sentences”.
The court also ordered dangerousness reports for both men, while a separate report will be prepared to establish Agah’s age.
Agah claimed during the trial that he was 16 when the attack happened and is now 17, although court records state he is 19.
The Daily Mail successfully challenged a reporting restriction which had prevented Agah from being named, arguing there was a public interest in identifying him following his conviction.
The temporary restriction had been imposed because of uncertainty over his age.
Ahmdzai arrived in Britain in a small boat in August 2023 and was initially housed in a Home Office hotel in London before being moved to Liverpool.
His asylum claim was rejected and he later returned to London while pursuing an appeal.
Agah also entered the UK illegally, although the court heard his precise route into Britain was unclear.
Home Office guidance means both men are expected to face deportation if, as anticipated, they receive sentences of more than a year.
Detective Constable Megan Lelliott, who led the investigation, described the attack as a “horrific ordeal”.
She praised the victim for her courage in reporting what happened and reliving the experience during the trial.
The officer said the woman’s bravery had ensured that two “dangerous men” would be held accountable for their actions.
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Two Afghan nationals raped a woman at knifepoint during a terrifying attack in an east London park after approaching her while she was star gazing with a date.
Afghani Khan Agah and Noorullah Ahmdzai attacked the woman in Barking Park at around 11pm on August 16 last year, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.
The pair pinned her down after confronting her and told her they “just wanted to have some fun with her”.
Ahmdzai, 26, raped the woman while Agah held a Swiss Army-style knife to her date’s throat and threatened to kill him if he called police.
The pair then switched roles, with Agah also assaulting the woman while her date was held at knifepoint.
Prosecutors said the woman was suffocated during the “petrifying and awful” attack, which left her “numb”.
The victim had met her date through an online dating app around two weeks earlier.
She told the trial she had been lying in his arms beneath the stars after he had serenaded her with his guitar when the two men approached.
Nutan Fatania, prosecuting, said the defendants had treated the woman as an “object they could use and abuse”.
She said the pair had approached two strangers who were lying together and overpowered them before carrying out the attack.
The woman’s date was allegedly threatened with the words: “I will kill you right now.”
He was unable to call police while the assault was taking place because of the knife being held against him.
DNA recovered from the victim’s clothing following the attack was used by police to establish the defendants’ involvement.
Ahmdzai claimed the woman had offered to have sex with the pair for £20, but a jury rejected his account after deliberating for nine hours.
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Both men were convicted of two counts of rape, two counts of threatening with a knife, assault by penetration and false imprisonment.
They are due to be sentenced in October, with Judge Leslie Cuthbert warning they face “lengthy custodial sentences”.
The court also ordered dangerousness reports for both men, while a separate report will be prepared to establish Agah’s age.
Agah claimed during the trial that he was 16 when the attack happened and is now 17, although court records state he is 19.
The Daily Mail successfully challenged a reporting restriction which had prevented Agah from being named, arguing there was a public interest in identifying him following his conviction.
The temporary restriction had been imposed because of uncertainty over his age.
Ahmdzai arrived in Britain in a small boat in August 2023 and was initially housed in a Home Office hotel in London before being moved to Liverpool.
His asylum claim was rejected and he later returned to London while pursuing an appeal.
Agah also entered the UK illegally, although the court heard his precise route into Britain was unclear.
Home Office guidance means both men are expected to face deportation if, as anticipated, they receive sentences of more than a year.
Detective Constable Megan Lelliott, who led the investigation, described the attack as a “horrific ordeal”.
She praised the victim for her courage in reporting what happened and reliving the experience during the trial.
The officer said the woman’s bravery had ensured that two “dangerous men” would be held accountable for their actions.
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
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