Rape survivor 'very upset' after being deprived of chance to see Sheffield attacker brought to justice

After a traumatic six months, the woman Haseeb Khalil raped, assaulted, falsely imprisoned and robbed began to prepare herself for the day she would see him in the dock and sentenced for his offending.

This came after Khalil, then aged 27, of Flaxby Road, Darnall, Sheffield, entered guilty pleas to the charges he faced, and a date was fixed for his sentencing hearing.

As the survivor attempted to bring this part of the ordeal to a close, she vowed to read her statement to the court herself during Khalil’s sentencing hearing - forcing him to be confronted with the devastating impact of his crimes.

But when Khalil’s sentencing hearing was suddenly brought forward by over two weeks - from June 10, 2024 to May 24, 2024 - the change was not communicated to the survivor.

The hearing went ahead at Sheffield Crown Court without her knowledge, depriving her of the chance to attend.

Speaking to The Star, the survivor - who cannot be named for legal reasons - said: “I am very disappointed that I wasn't able to attend court, I had the right to be there and hear the sentencing.

“I am very upset as that right was taken away from me. I wanted to see their faces when they were sentenced to have them hear how this has impacted me and my family.”

During the course of the hearing, the court heard how Khalil, acting together with a second defendant - Amaad Yaseen - each armed themself with ‘a large knife’ with the intention of robbing a convenience store on the morning of November 27, 2023.

After entering the store as planned, Khalil took a bottle of vodka, and both men left without paying.

Khalil subsequently returned 30 minutes later, this time armed with a gun, went straight up to the survivor, pointed the gun at her, before taking all of the cash from the till.

He then decided her would attack her sexually and ordered her into the stock room, after having been informed the CCTV did not cover that area. Khalil then subjected the survivor to what Judge Graham Reeds KC described as the ‘most awful attack’.

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said the force ‘recognises’ that not being able to be in court for sentencing ‘has caused further distress, after the horrific crime she was subjected to by Khalil and Yaseen’.

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The spokesperson continued: “We can confirm the Victim Personal Statement was read out on her behalf to the judge prior to sentencing, as had been agreed on the form when the statement was produced.

“The original sentencing date of May 20 had previously been communicated to the complainant on March 6, 2024, however one offender failed to appear at the hearing and the sentencing was adjourned until he could be found. Officers located and arrested him on May 21, and he appeared before court on May 22, where the matter was adjourned for sentencing until May 24.

“The system used by Crown Prosecution Service to notify the Witness Care Unit (WCU) was updated to reflect the new date, however due to the quick turnaround, the notification did not reach the WCU side until after sentencing had taken place.

“The WCU has been in contact with both the complainant and her Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) following the sentencing taking place in her absence.

“We are sorry for the distress which has occurred as a result of this.”

Khalil was sentenced to a total of nine years, nine months during the sentencing hearing on May 24, 2024, for offences of rape, sexual assault, and false imprisonment committed on November 27, 2023.  

He was additionally sentenced for two counts each of robbery, possession of an imitation firearm with the intent to commit robbery, possession of a bladed knife in a public place, and theft from a shop. These offences also occurred on November 27, 2023.

During the same hearing, Khalil’s co-accused, Yaseen, then aged 27, of Stainforth Road, Darnall, Sheffield, was sentenced to a total of 20 months and four weeks imprisonment for theft from a shop, possession of a bladed knife in a public place, and failure to surrender to police.

His outstanding counts - possession of an imitation firearm with the intention to commit robbery, and two counts of robbery - will lie on file.