Mourad Malki, also known as Sid Ali Djelid, denies rape
Manchester Crown Court(Image: MEN Media)
An alleged rapist targeted vulnerable and ‘intoxicated easy prey’ in Manchester city centre, before stealing from them, a trial has heard.
Mourad Malki, also known as Sid Ali Djelid, is accused of ‘laying in wait’ before attacking five individuals, one woman and four men, over the course of five months. The attacks all took place around Manchester’s Canal Street, prosecutors allege.
The defendant, 48, has accepted stealing from four of his victims. He denies any sexual offences and is on trial at Manchester Crown Court.
Jurors heard that the first complainant, a woman, had gone into the city centre for a few drinks on February 18 last year. None of the complainants can be identified for legal reasons.
“She had visited several bars on Canal Street and consumed several alcoholic drinks over the course of the night. By her own admission, she was extremely drunk,” said prosecutor Emma Kehoe.
The woman said she ended up in a car, but could not recall how or why and was being driven by an ‘Asian driver’, it was said. She was then ‘pulled out of the car’, jurors were told.
“She states that the male has then forcefully pushed her so that she was bent over, facing away from him. She said the male ‘yanked’ her dungarees [which she was wearing as jeans] down to her ankles,” Ms Kehoe continued. He then allegedly raped her twice, the court was told.
After the alleged attack, the defendant is said to have gone back to his car, turning to look back at her before driving off and leaving her in the doorway.
CCTV footage was later recovered from George Street to show Mr Malki/Djelid walking with the woman with his arm around her back, jurors were told.
The woman later realised her phone was missing, and using the ‘Find my iPhone’ feature, she discovered it was at an address on Smedley Road in Cheetham Hill. The court heard that the defendant’s address is on the same road. He has since pleaded guilty to theft of her phone.
The second complainant, a man, had travelled into Manchester for an evening out in The Village, and visited one bar and one club before leaving at 3am on April 14, it was said. He then walked back toward Manchester Piccadilly train station, via the canal towpath to wait for the next train, it was said.
“As he was walking onto the canal towpath he heard someone coming down behind him,” said Ms Kehoe. “He recalls a hand being on his shoulder and the person pushed him to his knees. He describes the force of this like a ton of bricks and said that their hands remained on him and that he couldn’t move.”
The man asked him ‘what the f*** are you doing’ and the defendant is alleged to have said ‘stay down’. He then raped him, before the man managed to pull free and run away, the court heard.
“As he ran he felt a hand grab him and push him causing him to hit his head on the bridge. He believes this may have knocked him unconscious briefly, the next thing he can remember is his trousers had been pulled down to his ankles.”
It is then alleged that he was raped a second time. He later realised his phone was missing, as were some bank cards and cash which were in his phone case, it was said.
The third complainant, another male, had been at the opening event at Co-op Live on April 20 with a friend. Afterwards, they went to Canal Street for a few drinks, the jury heard. The man’s friend left, and the complainant stayed out, knowing some friends were also out in Manchester.
He tried the Eagle Bar on Bloom Street, but was refused entry. He was then allegedly approached by the defendant who said ‘let’s go for a drink’, the court heard.
They walked to the carpark of Arthur House, on Silver Street, during which the defendant allegedly put his hand on the man’s bottom. He is then alleged to have ‘forcefully’ raped him twice, despite the complainant telling him ‘no’, Ms Kehoe said.
CCTV footage of the incident then allegedly showed Mr Malki/Djelid going into the pockets of the man’s jeans and taking his phone and wallet, which contained numerous cards, it was said. Later that morning, he attempted to make a number of fraudulent transitions using two of his bank cards, prosecutors said. The defendant has since pleaded guilty to the thefts.
The fourth complainant, another male, was visiting Manchester for work purposes in June last year. During the night they had gone out for a few drinks in The Village, before the complainant went outside for a cigarette by himself, the court heard.
He was then approached by the defendant before they walked to Richmond Street. “He cannot remember the conversation or why he would then leave with this male,” said Ms Kehoe.
Mr Malki/Djelid then allegedly raped him, with the complainant describing him as ‘aggressive’. CCTV footage from G-A-Y bar allegedly showed the defendant ‘running from the alleyway’ minutes after the incident.
As he ran, the complainant discovered his phone was missing, as was his watch and gold necklace. Mr Malki/Djelid has since pleaded guilty to theft of the phone and jewellery.
The final complainant, another male, had gone for a night out with his partner in the city centre on July 17th, the court heard. During the evening they became separated and he went to look for him outside. He described himself as ‘very intoxicated and disorientated’, it was said.
He decided to return to their hotel but did not know the way, and was approached by the defendant who offered to show him the way, it is alleged. Thinking he was a ‘good Samaritan’ he went with him, it was said.
“Instead of helping him, the prosecution case is that the defendant has taken him on a completely different and wrong route and has walked him half a mile in the opposite direction,” Ms Kehoe said.
As the man began to question the journey, the defendant allegedly raped him before pushing him onto the floor and running away, jurors were told. The man later realised his phone and wallet were missing, it was said.
Using ‘Find my iPhone’, it showed his phone was located on Cheetham Hill Road. There were also unsuccessful attempts to use a bank card, the court heard. Mr Malki/Djelid has since pleaded guilty to theft against him.
Malki/Djelid, of Smedley Road, denies eight offences of rape, one offence of theft and one offence of sexual assault.
The trial continues