Former British Army Ally Jailed for 14 Years After Incapacitating and Raping Two Teenagers in Bolton

A 29-year-old man has received a 14-year prison sentence after being convicted of heavily intoxicating and raping two 14-year-old girls at his Greater Manchester flat.

Sultani Bakatash was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court following a four-week trial in which jurors found him guilty of multiple grave offences. The jury delivered convictions on two counts of rape, one count of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault against the two teenagers.

The court heard that the incident occurred on 6 December after Bakatash initiated contact with one of the girls through the social media application Snapchat. Following their online communication, the defendant invited the girl and her friend to visit his apartment situated at Georgina Court in Bolton.

Upon their arrival at the residence, Bakatash began supplying the young teenagers with vodka mixed with Coca-Cola. Prosecutors detailed how the defendant actively encouraged both girls to continue consuming the alcoholic drinks while he merely took a single sip himself and offered repeated compliments regarding their physical appearance.

The substantial volume of alcohol consumed caused both 14-year-olds to experience extreme intoxication, to the point where they were drifting in and out of consciousness. The court heard that Bakatash exploited their severely compromised condition to carry out the sexual assaults, with each victim being forced to witness the other being attacked during the ordeal.

The sequence of events was halted when one of the victims managed to break away and flee the premises to seek emergency assistance. After escaping the flat, she frantically knocked on a nearby neighbour’s door to raise the alarm, crying out that her friend remained locked inside the residence and was being subjected to rape.

Prosecuting barrister Charlotte Rimmer outlined the deliberate nature of the offending during the trial, explaining that Bakatash had orchestrated the meeting, facilitated the rapid intoxication of the underage victims, and seized upon their vulnerability to commit the assaults. Rimmer characterized the defendant as an individual completely focused on achieving personal sexual gratification without any regard for the consent or wellbeing of the victims.

In handing down the 14-year custodial sentence, Judge Kenderik Horne stated that he was entirely satisfied the defendant had applied physical force to overcome the girls' physical resistance. The judge addressed Bakatash directly, telling him that his persistent encouragement of their drinking was a calculated tactic designed to render them completely unable to defend themselves or prevent the sexual attacks.

Throughout the legal proceedings, Bakatash offered a succession of contradictory explanations regarding the events of that evening. He initially claimed that the teenagers had been the ones to initiate the encounter and asserted that sexual activity had taken place with their consent.

The defendant subsequently altered his account, telling authorities that he had suffered a memory lapse and could not recall what had transpired inside the flat. Later in the proceedings, Bakatash shifted his position entirely to assert that no sexual contact had taken place at all, a narrative that Judge Horne firmly rebuked as a falsehood that the jury had decisively seen through.

Following the crimes, Bakatash abandoned his property and went on the run to evade law enforcement. Greater Manchester Police officers ultimately traced and apprehended him two days later at a property belonging to his brother.

The enduring toll of the attacks was emphasized during the sentencing hearing, with the court learning that one victim has suffered severe and ongoing psychological harm. Proceedings also highlighted that the traumatic consequences of the sexual violence inflicted upon the other teenager will permanently remain with her for the rest of her life.

A pre-sentence probation report presented to the court revealed that Bakatash refused to accept responsibility or acknowledge his criminal behavior. The probation assessment concluded that he continues to represent a high risk of danger to women and young girls.

In mitigation, defense barrister Umar Shehzad presented details regarding the defendant’s past, noting that Bakatash was an Afghan national who had previously supported the British Army in Afghanistan, during which he had sustained a gunshot injury. The defense stated that Bakatash had fled his home country out of terror following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 and had struggled with feeling overwhelmed by his transition to life in the United Kingdom.

The court heard that Bakatash had lived in the UK for two years and held indefinite leave to remain, residing in the country alongside his mother, two brothers, and two sisters.

Concluding the proceedings, Judge Horne indicated that while standard procedures might involve the defendant being considered for deportation after serving two-thirds of his prison term, deportation might not ultimately be enforced due to his previous assistance to British military forces and the dangerous conditions that prompted his flight from the Taliban regime.