Sheffield man accused of sexually abusing schoolgirl denies having any physical contact

Yasser Hussain, aged 38; Azad Raja, also aged 38; and Faisal Hussain, aged 34, have been charged with sexual offences relating to two complainants who were aged around 13 at the time of the alleged crimes.

Prosecuting barrister Jayne Louise Beckett told Sheffield Crown Court the case dates back to early 2001 and thereabouts and involves the alleged sexual abuse of two girls who were still at school and who may have been as young as 13 years-old.

Ms Beckett said the girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were friends and spent time at Meadowhall and around Sheffield and they had involved themselves with older men.

Former taxi-driver Yasser Hussain, of Norborough Road, Tinsley, Sheffield, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecent assault against the first of the complainants.

He told the jury he had only seen this complainant after he had twice been taken to an older woman’s home by a friend and this complainant had been there among a small group.

Yasser Hussain said he had lost his virginity with the older woman during the second visit to this home.

He added: “I was not happy because my family was talking about me getting married and I had lost my virginity to her.”

But Yasser Hussain told the jury he had not had any physical contact or any sexual involvement with the complainant.

He added that he did not see this complainant again but he did receive a Facebook friend request from her.

Yasser Hussain said: “She asked if I could be a witness because Azad was mistreating her. I said I was not going to do it because I had not seen anything. She said ‘you are going to regret it’, and she put the phone down.”

Yasser Hussain had also been accused of raping this complainant but the jury was directed to return a not guilty verdict on this matter after the CPS stated this offence could not be proven.

This defendant, who was married in 2005 and has three children, told the court he had worked at his family’s shop before becoming a taxi-driver and an executive driver with Sheffield United Football Club.

The court has heard how this first complainant initially met Yasser Hussain’s acquaintence Azad Raja at the home of one of her mother’s friends and had later met Yasser Hussain at a neighbour’s home.

Azad Raja, of Adney Street, Sheffield, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecent assault concerning the same complainant.

Faisal Hussain, of Lovetot Road, Kimberworth, Rotherham, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecent assault concerning the other complainant.

Mr Raja claimed to police he had met the first girl in 2003 or 2004 and they had been in a relationship that only involved kissing and hugging.

Yasser Hussain also told officers he only knew the first complainant as Mr Raja’s girlfriend. Faisal Hussain has claimed he did not know either of the girls.

The trial continues.