A local councillor says he is regularly contacted by frustrated residents looking to find their parcels

Residents in Co Tyrone have had to use social media to match front doors in order to track down wrongly delivered packages from Evri.

Those living in the Dungannon, Coalisland and Moy areas of East Tyrone have reported having a number of issues with the delivery service in recent months with many saying they have been unable to get packages delivered to the correct addresses that were supposed to be delivered by the company.

A number have taken to social media in order to post pictures of their parcels at someone’s front door in the hopes of tracking down the actual location that their parcels have been delivered.

READ MORE: Unlicenced driver caught after parking her car obstructively outside a police stationREAD MORE: Belfast man hits out at Evri after “constant issues” with deliveries

Local representative councillor Dan Kerr told Belfast Live that he gets calls from frustrated local residents on a weekly basis asking for help trying to find the address their parcels have been delivered to and claims that Evri is usually the company that was meant to deliver the packages.

Prior to Christmas he spoke at a council meeting and arranged for representatives to meet with Evri to discuss their concerns, however he says that the issues still remain.

Councillor Kerr said: “This is a problem that has been rampant across Dungannon, Coalisland, Moy, Arboe and all around the area for some time now and people are getting fed up with the poor service.

“It is like playing pass the parcels for some people as they have no choice but to post pictures of the front door where their parcels have been delivered online in the hopes of finding out where they actually are. I am getting people contacting me every week asking for help to track down deliveries.

“I spoke about this at council prior to Christmas and arranged a meeting with Evri and we were told that these issues were due to increased number of packages they were dealing with prior to Christmas and that some were down to issues with subcontractors who are no longer working for them, but the issue still seems to be continuing.

“These deliveries could be worth a lot of money and people deserve much better than the service they are receiving.”

An Evri spokesperson said: “Evri handles more than 900 million parcels each year with the vast majority being delivered successfully and on time. We’re sorry that a small number of local residents have experienced an issue with their deliveries. We’ve taken swift action to support a new courier on the round and we’ll closely monitor service levels to ensure deliveries meet our high standards.”

“The overwhelming majority of our couriers are highly regarded by customers, with an average star rating this year of 4.6 out of 5”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter.

The UK foreign secretary has said a 20-year jail term handed down by a Hong Kong court to pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai is “tantamount to a life sentence”.

The 78-year-old media tycoon and British citizen was found guilty ​of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one ​count of publishing seditious materials in December last year.

He had denied all the charges against him, ‌saying in court he was a “political prisoner” facing persecution from Beijing.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper agreed with that assessment and, in a statement, called the sentence a “politically motivated prosecution” aimed at Mr Lai “for exercising his right to freedom of expression”.

“For the 78-year-old, this is tantamount to a life sentence. I remain deeply concerned for Mr Lai’s health, and I again call on the Hong Kong authorities to end his appalling ordeal and release him on humanitarian grounds, so that he may be reunited with his family,” she added.

Lai’s son, Sebastien, told Sky News the case was a “show trial” and the result was not a surprise.

“I think many people expected it. This is essentially a life sentence… a death sentence,” he said.

China risks making Lai ‘martyr’

Commenting on the prospect of his father being released, he added: “I’m just holding out hope. I think we are in a situation now where it is in both Hong Kong and China’s best interest to release him as well.

“This is very damaging for their reputation. If my father dies, he becomes a martyr.”

Advertisement

Share

Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison

Mr Lai’s lawyer gave no comment when asked if he would appeal his sentence.

On Sunday, the Hong Kong court said that Mr Lai’s sentence was in the most severe penalty “band” for offences of a “grave nature”, and that it was enhanced by his being the “mastermind” and driving force behind foreign collusion conspiracies.

Mr Lai, who founded the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, was arrested in August 2020 after China imposed a national security law following massive anti-government protests in Hong Kong.

Lia’s health ‘exaggerated’, say police

The long-standing critic of ⁠the Chinese Communist Party had previously been sentenced for several lesser offences during his five years in prison.

Mr Lai has spent more than 1,800 days in solitary confinement. His family say his health has worsened as a result and that he suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure and heart palpitations.

‌The head of Hong ​Kong police’s National Security Department ⁠said on Monday, however, that claims of ‌his frail health are “exaggerated”.

Share

Advertisement

From December: Jimmy Lai’s son says UK government must ‘do more’

Speaking after the verdict, Sky’s Asia correspondent Helen-Ann Smith said she spoke to Mr Lai’s biographer Mark Clifford last month.

“He’s really the embodiment of what they fear,” she cites the author and close friend of the jailed tycoon as saying.

“A principled person, absolutely refusing to back down, smart, articulate, and crucially with a platform.”

Lai’s plight has been criticised by world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and UK ‍Prime Minister Sir Keir
Starmer.

Sir Keir discussed the case with ‌Chinese leader Xi Jinping last month in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, according to people briefed on the talks.

Read more from Sky News:
North Korea ‘executes schoolchildren for watching Squid Game’
Toddler held by ICE ‘nearly died’ in detention, lawsuit claims

Several Western diplomats told the Reuters news agency that negotiations to free Mr Lai would likely start in earnest after his sentencing, and depending on whether he appeals.

Calls for Jimmy Lai’s immediate release

There has been widespread criticism of the jail term. The ‌United Nations human rights chief ​called for the verdict to be quashed and Mr Lai released.

“This verdict ‌needs to be promptly ‌quashed as incompatible with international ​law,” said UN High Commissioner for ‍Human Rights Volker Turk.

The EU’s diplomatic service, the European External Action Service (EEAS), said it “deplores the heavy prison sentence” and called for Mr Lai’s “immediate and unconditional release”.

Elaine Pearson, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, added that the prison term was “effectively a death sentence” and was “both cruel and profoundly ⁠unjust”.

Speaking to Reuters, a former Apple Daily reporter who gave his name as Wong, said that “now that ‘red lines’ have formally become part of the judgments and sentences, the news industry – already severely weakened – will shrink even further”.

The Palace has not yet been approached by officers looking into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct

Advertisement

The King has made clear his “profound concern” at allegations over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct and will “stand ready to support” the police if approached over the claims, Buckingham Palace said. Thames Valley Police has confirmed it is assessing suggestions that the King’s brother shared confidential reports from his role as the UK’s trade envoy with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The reignited crisis which has engulfed both the monarchy and Westminster has shown little sign of abating since the US authorities’ recent dump of millions of documents associated with the paedophile financier Epstein.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct.

“While the specific claims in question are for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to address, if we are approached by Thames Valley Police we stand ready to support them as you would expect.

“As was previously stated, Their Majesties’ thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse.”

The Palace has not so far been approached by Thames Valley Police over the claims which relate to Andrew’s time as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment.

The Prince and Princess of Wales meanwhile publicly addressed the Epstein scandal for the first time on Monday, with Kensington Palace saying they were “deeply concerned” at the “continued revelations” and that their thoughts “remain focused on the victims”.

As The Press reported, cameras started rolling in St Mary’s, off Bootham, on Monday morning (February 9).

Crew members set up cameras and tents in the residential street with the filming appearing to focus on a guest house near the Marygate car park end of the street. They also set up a base in Marygate car park.

Filming for new thriller, Scorn, gets underway in St Mary’s, off Bootham in York, on Monday (February 9) (Image: Dylan Connell)

The film crew is due to be in St Mary’s until Friday, with the street closed until then.

It has now been confirmed that the crew is filming new erotic thriller, Scorn.

Adria Arjona (Image: Kevin Berru)

Topic Studios, the company behind the film, said it features Adria Arjona and Kingsley Ben-Adir.

Arjona, who has starred in Father of the Bride, Hit Man and Blink Twice, was spotted having lunch with her boyfriend, the Hollywood actor Jason Momoa, at the Whippet Inn last month.

Aquaman star Jason Momoa, left, with Whippet Inn owner Martin Bridge after the actor called for lunch in York on Friday, January 30 (Image: Whippet Inn)

The American couple were described as an “absolute delight” by the restaurant’s assistant general manager, Taylor Lloyd, who served them.

Read more: ‘Oh my God, it’s Aquaman!’ – Hollywood star dines in York and is a ‘delight’

Ben-Adir, meanwhile, played Bob Marley in the Bob Marley: One Love biopic, and also featured in Barbie.

Kingsley Ben-Adir (Image: Supplied)

Filming for Scorn, directed and written by Sarah-Violet Bliss, has already taken place in Leeds.

The film will follow a woman who begins a passionate affair with a married man. “When he then tries to re-cast their love as just a fling, she refuses to go away quietly,” a press release issued by Topic Studios said.

Topic Studios said it is fully financing and producing the film alongside Dylan Clark – producer of the Penguin and The Batman: Part I and Part II – and Brian Williams, as well as Aftersun director Amy Jackson.

Sarah-Violet Bliss (Image: Sela Shiloni)

The studio said it has produced more than 40 film and television projects earning 10 Academy Award nominations, 10 Golden Globe nominations and 12 Emmy nominations.

Its recent projects include Alex Fischer and Eleanor Wilson’s Wicker, starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård; Michael Angelo Covino’s Splitsville, starring Covino, Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona and Kyle Marvin; and Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain, starring Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin. Topic Studios also produced HBO’s 100 Foot Wave, as well as acclaimed documentaries It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley; and the Oscar-shortlisted Folktales.

The film will be the latest to feature York as its backdrop.

A second series of Patience, the Channel 4 crime drama set in York, aired at the start of the year.

Filming for festive movie Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint, starring Richard E. Grant, Celia Imrie and Adjoa Andoh, also took over streets in York city centre last November.

Former Ballon d’Or winner Ruud Gullit hailed two Arsenal players after the Gunners’ continued their Premier League title charge with an emphatic win over Sunderland.

The Gunners, bidding to become Premier League champions for the first time since 2004, temporarily moved nine points clear of second-placed Manchester City with a 3-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

Martin Zubimendi broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time before second-half substitute Viktor Gyokeres scored twice to put the game to bed.

Arsenal’s 17th league win of the season opened up a nine-point gap at the top of the table before Man City’s incredible comeback win over Liverpool later in the weekend.

The Gunners have matchwinners all over the pitch but ex-Chelsea captain Gullit picked out England star Noni Madueke and his Dutch compatriot Jurrien Timber for special praise.

‘One player I really like at Arsenal is Jurrien Timber,’ Gullit told Gambling Insider. ‘He is very strong and looks convincing in everything he does.

‘He is a fantastic player and one of the finest in the division, which you have to be to be a regular starter in Arsenal’s defence at the moment.

‘I saw him in the youth teams at Ajax and he was always a good, strong player. I like the way he plays.

‘He doesn’t moan, he gets on with his job and is a real team player. As well as that, he is so clever tactically and talented technically.

‘He had a real setback with that long-term injury when he first joined Arsenal, but he has bounced back from that and adapted to the Premier League so well.’

Timber has established himself as a key member of Mikel Arteta’s squad since recovering from his long injury lay-off, playing in all but one of Arsenal’s league games so far this season.

Arsenal paid almost £40m to sign Timber from Ajax in 2023 but the Netherlands international has already gone a long way to repaying that fee.

Gullit has also heaped praise on Arsenal summer signing Madueke, insisting he has been a ‘really good signing’ for Arteta.

Eyebrows were raised when Arsenal spent over £50m to sign Madueke from London rivals Chelsea but Gullit has been impressed by the 23-year-old.

‘Noni Madueke is a good player, but he is having to play second fiddle to Bukayo Saka when both players are fit,’ Gullit added.

‘If both are fit, Madueke is on the bench. When he is on the pitch, however, he is very handy and always a big threat, and I actually think one thing that stands out about him is how hard he works.

‘As much as I think he is dangerous on the ball, I think it goes unnoticed how good he is off it, helping the team. He is doing well at Arsenal and has been a really good signing for them.’

Arsenal will hope to continue their march towards the Premier League trophy on Thursday when they face London rivals Brentford.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MORE: Alan Shearer says Chelsea and England star Cole Palmer is in ‘horrible position’

MORE: Mikel Arteta makes Pep Guardiola claim as Arsenal battle Manchester City for Premier League title

MORE: Paul Scholes urges Manchester United to sign £42.5m Tottenham star

“They generally put themselves last, they put their animals first, and they don’t know how to switch off.”

A man from Northern Ireland has urged other farmers to treat their mental health as seriously as they would physical safety on the farm, as farmer wellbeing is at its lowest point in four years.

The Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) is marking its ninth annual Mind Your Head week from February 9 to 13, by looking at tackling the issue of suicide risk in the UK agricultural industry.

The campaign is calling on farmers, rural organisations, colleges and Young Farmers Clubs to start life-saving conversations, learn practical skills and connect communities to support – addressing what many now recognise as the industry’s “biggest hidden problem.”

READ MORE: MLA emotional as she pays tribute ‘amazing little boy’ killed in road accidentREAD MORE: Young Lisburn farmer raising awareness of mental health in the industry after losing friends to suicide

Gyles Dawson from Co Armagh has been working in the agri-business sector for over 30 years, is a part-time farmer, and works for the charity Rural Support to ensure agricultural workers in Northern Ireland have the support they need.

He said the demand for help regarding mental wellbeing is “rising sharply.” In the year 2024-2025, Rural Support received 446 calls through their confidential support helpline, a 22% increase on the previous year, with the most common age group being those from 45-54.

Speaking to Belfast Live, Gyles said: “The most alarming thing is two in five of those calls are people showing suicial ideation, which is very concerning. The top concerns we are seeing are financial difficulties, mental health struggles, succession planning, and weather issues.

“We have seen a 55% increase in counselling referrals and a 54% rise in the overall business mentoring support we provide. There is an awful lot for farmers to navigate, but we can work alongside them to offer support.”

He said Rural Support are proud to support the Mind Your Head campaign, adding that farmers need to reach out for help when they need it, and must treat their mental wellbeing as seriously as physical safety on the farm.

Gyles added: “Farming is hard work, seven days a week, with many farmers working 60+ hours a week. Many are struggling with rural isolation, alongside financial stress and uncertainty.

“Weather makes a significant difference to farming practises. Then you have family succession pressures, and unfortunately 91% of farmers now see mental health as one of the biggest hidden challenges in the industry.

“In bygone days, farmers would have had employees to help out on the farm. Mechanisation has helped tremendously, but the issue now is because farm incomes over the past two years have not been so good, you’re finding a lot of farms are having to cut back on employee labour. They’re working longer hours themselves, which causes a rise in fatigue and the possibility of farm accidents increasing.

“Farmers generally put themselves last, they put their animals first, and they don’t know how to switch off. They are very resilient people and will go a long way before they actually go out and ask for help.”

The latest research from the Farm Safety Foundation found that overall wellbeing within the farming community lags behind the UK general population and has fallen to its lowest point in four years. This is measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), a widely used national measure of positive mental health.

Mental wellbeing among farmers over 40 years old hits a four-year low, with the sharpest decline being among those aged 61 – historically the most resilient group. Until recently, this age group consistently reported mental wellbeing levels above the UK average – a sign of resilience in one of the toughest professions. But that resilience is now under severe strain.

As for the support provided by the charity Rural Support in Northern Ireland, Gyles said: “We provide support through community-based counselling and business mentoring, we will go out to a farm and provide that support there.

“Farmers feel safe in their own environment, and if we can meet them in their own environment, then that tends to drop the barriers a little bit more, and they feel more open to talk, and it combats that rural isolation part as well.

“We also have a crisis support and non-crisis support platform. So the crisis support platform consists of business mentors and mental health counsellors who provide that service directly on farm to farmers, and then we have sort of the non-crisis side of things which is the likes of Plough On groups which are to combat loneliness.”

Stephanie Berkeley, Manager of the Farm Safety Foundation, said: “Over the past nine years, we have made significant strides in raising awareness and improving education around mental health. However, when it comes to suicide prevention, progress has been far more limited.

“While agriculture in the UK benefits from rural support groups and charities who deliver vital, high-quality support, a critical gap remains: there is still very little suicide prevention training tailored specifically for those working in agriculture.

“Farming brings a unique set of pressures – long hours, isolation, financial uncertainty, generational expectations and physical risk. Conversations about suicide in rural communities require approaches that are real, relatable and rooted in lived experience. Without training designed for the realities of agricultural life, we risk leaving those most vulnerable without the tools they need to recognise warning signs and intervene effectively.”

Stephanie continued: “Farming is tough. Long hours, hard graft and a mindset that says ‘just get on with it.’ That grit is admirable – but it is also why some farmers leave it too late to ask for help.

“As we enter 2026, we want to address the issue of suicide awareness and prevention. Too many farming families are quietly carrying the weight of crisis and loss. The message this year is simple: learn the steps, start conversations earlier and look out for each other. When communities know what to say and what to do, lives can be saved.”

To find out more about Rural Support, click here. You can also call their confidential helpline on 08001381678.

Anyone who needs to talk to someone about mental health issues can call the Samaritans on 116123 or Lifeline on 0808 808 8000.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Alan Shearer says Chelsea and England star Cole Palmer has been in a ‘horrible position’ due to his reoccurring injury problems.

Palmer has started less than half of Chelsea’s Premier League games this season as he has been dogged by a persistent groin injury.

The 23-year-old, a former Premier League Young Player of the Season, scored a hat-trick in Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Wolves on Saturday.

Those three goals almost doubled Palmer’s tally for the season, taking him from four Premier League goals to seven.

Premier League record goalscorer and ex-England striker Shearer had his fair share of injury setbacks during his career and says he ‘hated’ being in the position Palmer has found himself in this season.

‘It was really interesting listening to Cole Palmer after the [Wolves] game saying he’s having to manage his injury in a specific way,’ Shearer said on The Rest is Football podcast.

‘I hated being in that position as a player, when you know you need to get through an injury and you’re not being able to train as much as you want.

‘You get to the game, then you’re back to square one when it’s feeling okay. It’s a horrible position to be in that so the sooner he gets over that the better.’

Gary Lineker, who believes he suffered the exact same issue as Palmer, added: ‘I know that injury, funnily enough, I spent a year at Everton with that injury.

‘It was exactly the same as Cole Palmer’s one, it was niggly and I never trained, and that’s why people used to say he never trains, he just has a bath every day.

‘There was a reason for that. I was struggling. It never stopped me from playing, I could always play through it, but the niggle was there all of the time.

‘It wasn’t really until I had a break after the World Cup that it went away.

Advertisement

‘It’s a weird one, because it niggles you, once you play, you’re alright, but you can do something, and it stiffens up. It sounds like Cole is going through the same thing.’

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior hailed Palmer as ‘world-class’ and ‘unstoppable’ following his hat-trick against bottom-placed Wolves.

‘We know what a world-class player he is,’ the new Stamford Bridge manager said. ‘He’s played a lot of football over the last year with not much rest.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video

Advertisement

‘When he’s at his best, he’s unstoppable. I’m delighted to be working with him.’

Speaking at his pre-Leeds United press conference on Monday afternoon, Rosenior confirmed Palmer came out of the Wolves win unscathed and was fit to start at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.

Advertisement

‘Cole is available for tomorrow,’ Rosenior said. ‘I think any world-class player is important to what you want to achieve.

‘So for me, it’s been great to see him enjoying his football and on Saturday it’s been great to see him banging in the goals and hopefully his form continues in that way.’

Chelsea are fifth in the Premier League ahead of their clash with 16th-placed Leeds, one point outside the top-four places.

Palmer’s injury issues earlier in the season appeared to put his World Cup hopes in jeopardy but Danny Murphy says he is a ‘sure thing’ to be picked by England if he stays fit.

‘If he’s impacting games, like we know he can, from now to the end of the season, he’s a sure thing to be in the squad,’ the former Liverpool and England midfielder told BBC Sport.

Advertisement

‘He can play wide, he can play as a 10. He’s just so good on the ball and classy and simply doesn’t fear anybody.

‘Even if you bring him off the bench, you know he can do unbelievable things. He can win you a game in a heartbeat.’

Chelsea suffered a shock defeat to Leeds United the last time these two sides met in what turned out to be one of Enzo Maresca’s final games in charge.

The west Londoners have largely impressed since Rosenior replaced Maresca last month, winning seven of their last nine games, with the only two setbacks coming in either leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal.

‘I know they’re out of the Carabao Cup but he’s had a rally good start,’ Shearer said of Rosenior, who left French side Strasbourg to take charge of Chelsea.

Advertisement

‘They’ve got Leeds and Burnley next [in the Premier League] as well so it might get a bit tougher after that.

‘It’s been really good because you do feel like there’s some people who are waiting for Rosenior to fail but he can’t control that.

‘You can do and say whatever you like if you’re winning games. It’s going well for him.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Advertisement

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MORE: Mikel Arteta makes Pep Guardiola claim as Arsenal battle Manchester City for Premier League title

MORE: Paul Scholes urges Manchester United to sign £42.5m Tottenham star

MORE: Arsenal and Chelsea in talks to sign son of Inter Milan legend

Advertisement

Comments


Add as preferred source

Football Newsletter – In The Mixer

Punchy analysis, transfer talk and more from Metro’s football experts, sent straight to your inbox every week.

Advertisement

The Money Saving Expert highlighted the government’s Help to Save scheme and regular saver accounts offering up to 7.1% interest during his BBC podcast

Martin Lewis has discussed a DWP scheme that savers might wish to consider. The consumer expert offered several tips on building savings during an episode of his BBC podcast.

He dedicated a significant portion of the programme to examining mortgage overpayments and whether this strategy is more advantageous than placing money into savings accounts.

One listener asked about what to do with a lump sum of £90,000 that they were about to receive. They were paying a relatively high mortgage rate of 5.6 per cent and asked for advice on how to use the money.

Mr Lewis said his general principle is that if your mortgage rate surpasses the highest after-tax savings rate available, it may be more sensible to overpay your mortgage rather than deposit cash into savings. Responding to the question, Mr Lewis initially stated that “you cannot earn 5.6 percent in savings”.

He pointed out certain savings vehicles where this rate can be exceeded. He mentioned briefly: “With the exception of a Help to Save if you’re on Universal Credit or a regular saver where you can put a couple of hundred quid a month in.”

The Help to Save scheme is worth considering if you’re receiving Universal Credit, as it offers a 50 per cent bonus on deposits. Through the scheme, you receive a 50p bonus for every £1 you deposit into the account over a four-year period, reports the Mirror.

You can contribute between £1 and £50 each month, meaning you can save up to £2,400 over four years, earning up to £1,200 in bonuses. Savers receive their bonuses across two stages, with the first payout arriving after the initial two years, calculated on the highest balance achieved during that period.

The second bonus comes at the conclusion of year four, determined by the highest balance reached in years three and four. When it comes to regular saver accounts, you can get rates of over 7 per cent, but there are restrictions on monthly deposits.

Take Nationwide Building Society’s Flex Regular Saver, for instance, which offers 6.5 per cent but caps monthly contributions at £200. By depositing the maximum amount, savers could pocket £84.50 annually in interest.

Currently, Zopa leads the market with its Regular Saver offering 7.1 per cent, allowing customers to stash away up to £300 monthly. Financial experts are forecasting further cuts to the Bank of England’s base rate this year.

The rate presently stands at 3.75 per cent. The central bank opted to maintain this level in its most recent announcement.

Abdul Kahar, 41, met the girl, 15, on Snapchat and after giving her vodka to the point where she was sick, he proceeded to rape her in his car despite the victim trying to push the predator away, a court heard

A “sexual predator” raped a 15-year-old girl in his car after giving her so much alcohol she was sick twice – and was caught when the victim raised the alarm by calling police “asking for a pizza”.

Abdul Kahar, 41, met the 15-year-old girl on Snapchat and arranged to meet her while posing as a 17-year-old boy called ‘Jay’. The father-of-one, who is also married, picked the girl up in Druid’s Heath, Birmingham after promising her they could “drink and a chill”.

But after forcing the girl to drink vodka, to the point where she was sick twice, Kahar started touching her breasts in the front of the vehicle before taking her to the back where he removed her clothes, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

On a number of occasions the teenager tried to push the defendant away and at one stage “he put his hands around her throat and squeezed so she could not breathe”, Francesca Perera, prosecuting, said.

Advertisement

The girl, now 16, lived in a children’s home and was in the care of the local authority at the time of the attack, the court heard. It was said Kahar told the victim on Snapchat before they met that she looked pretty, and also asked for naked pictures of her, whether she had ever had sex with anyone else and if she would do anything for him for money.

After the attack the quick-thinking victim duped Kahar into believing she was dialling for a pizza when in fact she called the police control centre as she sat in his vehicle. The girl had seen a video on TikTok where another sexual assault victim had phoned police to send a SOS by ‘ordering a pizza’.

The call-handler asked her ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions to establish exactly what was happening on June 28 last year. When she asked the girl if she was in danger she replied “yeah”. The victim was able to tell police the exact location.

Kahar pleaded guilty to two charges of raping a female under 16, four charges of sexually assaulting a female over 13, non-fatal intentional strangulation and breach of a sexual harm prevention order. He was jailed at Birmingham Crown Court for 15 years and three months on Monday.

Sentencing, Judge Sarah Buckingham said: “At the time of the offences you were 40 while she was 15. You were well over twice her age. You are a sexual predator with a deep seated sexual attraction to young and underage girls. It would have been obvious to you that she was particularly vulnerable and at risk of exploitation so you exploited her and plied her with alcohol.

“When she tried to resist you put your hands around her throat and forced her to stop resisting. You had utterly no regard for her well being despite your claims. This was a prolonged incident and your offending was planned. You are a 41-year-old father of an eight-year-old boy. You should be utterly ashamed of yourself. You have disgraced yourself and brought shame upon your family.”

Ben Hargreaves, defending, said “It is always the family of the defendant who will suffer the most. He has an eight-year-old and a wife who are dumbfounded by his behaviour.”

Detective Constable Lauren Campbell, of West Midlands Police, said: “Kahar posed as a 17-year-old boy on Snapchat and groomed a vulnerable 15-year-old girl online for a period of time before she agreed to meet up with him. He then raped and sexually assaulted her in his car.

“I want to praise the brave actions of the girl and also praise the call handler for having the foresight to understand this was a call for help from someone who was vulnerable and in danger.”