Islam versus Europe

Two girls aged 16 believed they were going on a night out when three Asian men subjected them to a “terrifying ordeal” of rape, a court heard yesterday.

The girls, both white, were persuaded to get into a car after they were falsely told by Stephanie Knight, 19, that they were all going clubbing, the jury at Burnley Crown Court was told.

Instead of heading for a towncentre club, they were taken to a supermarket car park where they were encouraged to drink enough vodka that one recalled “feeling smashed”.

They were driven to a deserted house in Accrington, Lancashire, with no electricity or furniture. The jury was told that one of the girls was raped by Amjad Hussain, 34, his brother Shahid Hussain, 37, and their cousin 39-year-old Tanveer Butt.

Amjad Hussain was then said to have raped both girls as they returned home to Blackburn.
Nick Courtney, for the prosecution, said: “In the house, the prosecution say, Shahid Hussain, Tanveer Butt and Amjad Hussain subjected one of the girls to a terrifying ordeal of oral, vaginal and anal rape.

“Stephanie Knight wanted the other girl to give one of the men oral sex but she refused. She and Butt then prevented her going to the assistance of her friend who was crying out when being raped.”

Miss Knight, of Blackburn, Lancashire, Amjad Hussain, of Accrington, Shahid Hussain and Mr Butt, both of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, all deny conspiracy to rape.

Two defendants, Miss Knight and Mr Butt, have pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting rape while each of the three men denies rape.

Mr Courtney warned the jury at the outset of the trial that they would hear about events that they may find shocking.

The alleged victims had only known Miss Knight for little more than a week. One told officers in a video interview that all she knew about her was “she hangs around with a load of Asian lads”.

Mr Courtney suggested that the defendants had conspired to rape because the agreement was that Miss Knight would provide the girls for the men to have non-consensual sex on that night in December, 2009.

Once they were in the car, Miss Knight was heard to say “got them” into her mobile phone.
The prosecution suggest that Miss Knight told the girls they were going to be dropped off in Burnley when Amjad Hussain arrived to pick them up. But they were transferred to Mr Butt’s 4x4 and taken to Tesco Express in Accrington.

They were plied with so much alcohol one of the girls said that on a scale of one to ten of drunkeness, she rated a ten.

They were then driven to Amjad Hussain’s former home in the town. It was in darkness because there was no electricity. One of the girls later described how she was pulled from room to room by the men throughout the night as they took turns to sexually assault her.

Mr Courtney said that Miss Knight told the second girl she must perform a sexual act on “her boys” otherwise “she would bang her in the back alley”. She was assured that her friend was just “chillin’ with my boys” when she heard screams.

It is alleged that Amjad Hussain produced a knife as they drove home to Blackburn and forced the two girls to perform oral sex.

Mr Courtney told the jury that Miss Knight later told police that the girls knew they were going to the house with her friends and boyfriend, Amjad Hussain.

Amjad Hussain insisted that the sex was consensual while the other two defendants denied ever having met them.

Mr Courtney said: “The prosecution say that the defendants’ accounts in these interviews are untrue. In fact they conspired to rape the girls. The agreement was that Stephanie Knight would provide girls for the defendants to have non-consensual sex on that night.”
The trial, which is expected to last three weeks, continues.