'Sinister' Sunderland rapist jailed for string of sex attacks

A rapist has been jailed for 20 years for a shocking series of city centre sex attacks on women.
Haval Omer.Haval Omer.
Haval Omer.

Pizza shop boss Haval Omer prowled the streets and clubs at night looking for females to have sex with and then attacked them in his car or at his home.

The 32-year-old had told one of his victims he would take her to hospital after he found her distressed in the street before he instead "abducted" her in his car and raped her.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He plied another woman with drink after "pawing" at her in a club and then subjected her to a sickening sex assault ordeal.

A third victim, whose drink had been spiked in a nightclub, was "tricked" into getting into Omer's car, taken to his home and raped.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that Omer, who had been due to get married, had a "sense of entitlement" and still struggles to understand what he has done wrong.

Omer, of Eden Vale, Sunderland, was convicted of three offences of rape, on two of the women, and four of sexual assault after a trial.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Judge Penny Moreland branded the serial offender "dangerous" and sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment, with an eight-year extension period and lifelong sex offender registration.

The judge said Omer's behaviour was "sinister" and added: "He doesn't actually think he has done anything wrong.

Judge Moreland told Omer: "You pose a high risk to members of the public, particularly females.

"I form the view you are dangerous."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The court heard the first victim was attacked in 2015 after she had taken an overdose of drugs and had wandered into the road while Omer was parked nearby.

A recording of a 999 call made by the woman's friend captured him offering to give her a lift to hospital for help.

Judge Moreland told him: "You were parked on up on that street and looked like you were looking for girls.

"You had a bottle of vodka in your car which you used as an inducement to get her into your car.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"It is apparent your intention was to get her alone, which you did. Once you had done that you raped her in your car, ignoring her protests."

The court heard the woman was found by the police, unconscious, in Omer's home the next day.

While under investigation for that offence, Omer targeted his second victim, who was on a night out in 2016.

CCTV footage from a nightclub showed him "pawing" at the young woman, before "picking up her glass and encouraging her to drink".

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She was repeatedly sexually assaulted after he got her into his car.

Omer targeted his third victim during another city night out later the same year.

Judge Moreland told him; "I am quite satisfied while she was in the nightclub her drink was spiked.

"She said she felt weird and unable to stand."

The judge said Omer had "gone out looking for someone to have sex with" and had got the victim into his car once she was "incapable".

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Judge Moreland added: "She didn't want to have sex with you. You ignored her protests and you raped her."

The court heard the attacks had a devastating impact on all three victims.

One woman said she is "haunted" by what happened and said the ordeal has "messed her life up".

Another said: "How can anyone do something so vile and crude."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The women said they feared their ordeals will affect the rest of their lives.

Judge Moreland said: "Sadly, I'm afraid that might be true."

Peter Schofield, defending, said Omer arrived in the UK as an asylum seeker in 2002 from Iraq and worked hard to set up his business.

Mr Schofield added: "He does, through me, recognise the seriousness of all of these offences.

"He apologises and is contrite for the distress that has been occasioned to everyone."