Sunderland rapists who targeted drunk woman and dumped her on roadside called 'a threat to society' by detective as they start jail terms

Predators Syed Ahmed and Najirul Miah, both 22, have been jailed for 23 years after picking up the intoxicated female after she had been out drinking in Sunderland city centre in April 2016, then dumped her by the roadside after they had finished raping her.

The woman got into what she believed was an unlicensed taxi and they agreed to take her home, but drove in the opposite direction and demanded more money and sexual activity.

The restaurant workers stopped in a secluded spot in Hendon to attack her, then abandoned her miles from home with no phone battery and with her bag still inside the car.

Ahmed, of Millfield, denied rape, false imprisonment and theft but was convicted of all three following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court in December.

Miah, of Ashwood Terrace, Thornhill, was found guilty of rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment following a trial, and previously admitted theft.

On Friday, February 7, Ahmed was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment and Miah to 12 years behind bars – their trial followed two others, with a hung jury returned in the first and the second halted due to legal reasons.

Jodie Menzies, Ahmed's then-partner, was convicted after contacting the victim on Facebook asking her to drop the charges against him.

The 22-year-old of Thackeray Road, Thorney Close, admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice and received a 16-month sentence suspended for two years.

Detective Constable Sara Stewart, of Northumbria Police, has praised the victim for her bravery and added: “This was a disgusting and appalling attack that occurred almost four years ago.

“Ahmed and Miah preyed on a vulnerable woman who had put her trust in them under the agreement that they would safely drop her at home.

“However, instead they violated that trust and subjected the individual to a horrendous ordeal.

“There can be little doubt that Ahmed and Miah are dangerous individuals who are clearly a threat to society.”