Darlington pervert left woman terrified after he chased her

A judge told Mohammed Rahman that his behaviour is "alarming" after hearing how the woman was forced to run for safety as the 20-year-old closed in on her.

The woman started to use her mobile phone to record Rahman as he was bearing down on her and was left terrified he knew where she lived.

In a victim impact statement, the woman described the incident as a "living nightmare" and will never walk home in the dark again.

The Darlington woman said: “This incident really shook me up. I burst into tears when the police called me and told me they had arrested someone.

“I was worried he had seen me go into my house and know where I live. I should be able to walk home from town without anyone following me and I should be able to feel safe.”

Annelise Haugstad, prosecuting, told Teesside Crown Court how the defendant followed the victim for several minutes whilst continually closing the gap between the pair and pulling up his hood to disguise his identity.

She said: “She took out her mobile phone and started to record the male who was now at a sprint, crossing the road towards her.

“She shouted ‘why are you following me?’ as he pulled his hood around her face and ran past her.”

Miss Haugstad said the defendant was arrested a few hours later whilst hiding in a garden before attempting to flee the police.

Mohammed Rahman (Image: Durham Constabulary)

Rahman, of Selbourne Terrace, Darlington, pleaded guilty to two breaches of his sexual risk order following his arrest on April 14 this year.

The judge heard how Rahman was issued with a sexual risk order after he was caught carrying out a sex act in front of residents of care home.

Mark Styles, mitigating, said: He had the good sense to plead guilty and it is a poor pre-sentence report, I have to concede that.”

Judge Jonathan Carroll branded Rahman’s approach to women as ‘alarming’ as he jailed him for two years and eight months.

“She fled and you sprinted after her,” he said. “The level of anxiety and fear that must have triggered is hard to imagine.

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“In those few moments, in her mind she must have gone through every worst-case scenario as to what could happen.

“The level of fear she must have experienced cannot be understated.”

The judge added: “Your pre-sentence report is alarming. You have entrenched, dysfunctional, unhealthy and frankly dangerous attitudes to women.

“You displayed them openly in your police interview, you continue to display them in your involvement with the probation service.”