Man, 40, convicted of rape

A 40-year-old man has been convicted of rape following the end of trial at Northampton Crown Court last week.

In the early hours of May 28, this year, Mohammed Ali Sheikh, previously of St Michael’s Road, Northampton, took a woman inside a property in Clare Street, Northampton, and raped her twice.

Following the incident, the woman managed to run away from the address and a short time later reported the incident to Serenity, the Sexual Assault Referral Centre, and to police.

An investigation was launched by the Force’s SOLAR Team which involved numerous lines of enquiry in a bid to identify exactly where the incident had taken place and who was responsible.

The fast-paced investigation led them to Sheikh, and he was arrested and subsequently charged with two counts of rape and later on, with a further count of attempted rape. 

A trial took place on December 2 which lasted 10 days and ended on December 19 with the jury finding him guilty on all three counts.

Lead investigator - Detective Constable Elisha Lofthouse, said: “The woman in this case has shown exceptional courage throughout the court process and I want to thank her for her bravery, her support, and the trust she put in us to investigate what happened to her.

“Mohammed Ali Sheikh was found guilty by the jury after just over five hours of deliberation and I am glad that he will be starting the new year looking at a long stretch in prison.

“Though no amount of time behind bars will be enough to make up for what he did, I hope the survivor feels some sense of closure and justice as a result of this conviction.

“Tackling violence and women and girls remains a priority for Northamptonshire Police and everyone in the SOLAR Team is extremely passionate about protecting survivors of sexual offences and bringing the offenders to justice.”

Sheikh will be sentenced on February 14, 2025.

*This report has been released with the support of the survivor, who has the legal right to lifelong anonymity*

If you have been a victim of sexual abuse, whether recent or non-recent, please come forward by calling 101 or via the online reporting tool at www.northants.police.uk.

We will believe you.

If you have been a victim of rape or sexual abuse, but are not yet ready to speak to the police, please visit www.nhft.nhs.uk/serenity or call Serenity on 01604 601713.

Serenity provides free, confidential 24/7 support.

You can also visit www.voicenorthants.org or call Voice on 0300 303 1965.

Voice is a support service for anyone living in Northamptonshire, regardless of when, where or how crime happened to you. Services are free, confidential and you don’t have to have reported anything to the police.