Mohammed Ghani

Ghani argued that his total sentence of 14 years was manifestly excessive, citing in particular his age of 19 to 21 at the time of the offences, the absence of subsequent sexual offending, his family and professional circumstances, and the substantial delay between his arrest in 2016 and his first court appearance in 2022. The Court of Appeal considered that these factors had been duly taken into account but carried little weight in view of the cynical exploitation of a child who sought his affection. It found the sentence severe but not manifestly excessive and refused permission to appeal against sentence.

Attribution

Directly implicated

The Court of Appeal describes Mohammed Ghani as having met C1/Girl A when she was 12 years old. She believed she was in a genuine relationship with him and said she would have done anything he asked to please him. Ghani frequently collected her from school while she was still wearing her uniform, supplied her with alcohol and pressured her into having sexual intercourse with him and his friends. The jury convicted him of five counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child. Among the incidents relating to the counts on which he was convicted, C1 described vaginal and oral penetration and, when she was 13 or 14, extremely painful anal penetration followed by vaginal penetration. The judge identified ejaculation, the presence of other people during several incidents and the threat to show C1's mother a humiliating video if she refused to have sexual intercourse with Hussain as aggravating circumstances. Court reports describe Ghani, nicknamed 'Gunny', as a man around whom part of the group was centred and who 'offered' the girl to his friends. He was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment on 31 October 2023. Some local reports stated 14 years and 6 months, but the police, national press and Court of Appeal confirm a total sentence of 14 years.

State of the evidence

Established by a court

Attribution

Directly implicated

The prosecution recalled that Ghani had initially denied knowing Girl A, subsequently admitted a relationship which he placed after her 16th birthday, and then suggested that she might have confused the perpetrators of the acts that had traumatised her.

Attribution

Directly implicated

The jury found Mohammed Ghani guilty of five counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child.

State of the evidence

Established by a court

Attribution

Accused

The published verdicts indicate that Ghani was found not guilty of ten counts of rape, one count of sexual intercourse with a child, two counts of indecency with a child, one further count of penetrative sexual activity with a child and two counts of buggery.

Attribution

Accused

Greater Manchester Police announced 21 charges against Mohammed Ghani in Operation Lytton.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Accused

The judge found that Mohammed Faisal Ghani, who was at least five years older than Girl A, exploited her affection and her need to be loved in order to obtain sexual intercourse.

State of the evidence

Established by a court

Attribution

Accused

The court found that he made Girl A feel that she had to have sexual intercourse with his friends to please him, including with Insar Hussain.

State of the evidence

Established by a court

Attribution

Accused

The court found that repeated oral and vaginal penetration, as well as one instance of anal intercourse, had occurred over a period of approximately two years.

State of the evidence

Established by a court

Attribution

Accused

The judge noted an incident in the flat above a former butcher's shop where Mohammed Ghani, Insar Hussain and two other men successively forced Girl A to engage in oral sexual acts.

State of the evidence

Established by a court

Attribution

Directly implicated

The judge considered that supplying alcohol was part of the routine and that Ghani frequently gave it to the victim during the period of abuse.

State of the evidence

Established by a court

Attribution

Accused