Groping predator followed Leeds woman home and attacked her after stepping off bus
A creepy bus passenger who followed a woman home groped her and tried to kiss her yards from her home.
Iranian national Sami Rasouli was jailed at Leeds Crown Court today after admitting two counts of sexual assault.
The 21-year-old had denied wrongdoing but changed his plea on the day he was due to stand trial.
The court heard that the woman had boarded a bus on Boar Lane in the city centre on her way home on August 17 last year.
Rasouli also got on and sat right behind the victim, despite there being plenty of other seats available.
When the woman reached her village stop in north Leeds, she got off, as did Rasouli.
He then followed her close behind on foot, with the woman later saying she could sense him behind her.
She eventually turned around he called her “beautiful” and asked her for her Snapchat details.
He continued to badger her and even used Google Translate to ask her to go to the pub with him.
He asked her for a kiss and she told him to leave her alone, before he grabbed her and tried to kiss her. She swerved and he kissed her on the cheek.
She tried to flee and he still pursued her, grabbing her and pushing her in to bushes.
The woman, who cannot be named, got home and told her parents.
Rasouli, of Norman Road, Huddersfield, was arrested the next day and gave a prepared statement to police.
He denied involvement and claimed there would be no DNA found on the victim. However, his DNA was found on her cheek and her jeans.
He has no previous convictions.
Mitigating, Eleanor Mitten said Rasouli had come to the UK and sought asylum from Iran because of the danger in his home country.
She said he had no family in the UK.
Ms Mitten said he required help with his attitudes towards sex and consent.
She added that he understands he faced custody and that it could affect his immigration status in future.
Ms Mitten said he “expressed remorse and regret”.
Judge Geoffrey Marson KC questioned why he was on a bus to an outlying Leeds village, when he lived in Huddersfield.
Rasouli said he was heading to a barbershop where he worked, but it was pointed out it was a Sunday and it was closed.
Judge Marson said: “In my judgement, it’s clear you decided you wanted some sexual contact with her whether she consented or not.
“She was terrified, understandably.”
“She was very brave to resist you. The courts must protect women from attacks such as this.
“Women should be allowed to walk freely in public without any risk of attack.
“We will probably never know what your actual intention was.”
He jailed him for two years.
He also gave him a 10-year restraining order to stay away from the woman and put him on the sex offender register for 10 years.
Judge Marson said he “hoped” Rasouli would be deported after completing his sentence.