'Dangerous and depraved' rapist jailed

A "dangerous and depraved" man who raped a woman after following her for hours has been jailed.

Nzar Salah, a resident of Crewe, Cheshire, approached his victim while she was walking in the town on 23 July 2023.

The woman became fearful of the 28-year-old's behaviour as he began following her and she started recording on her phone before he attacked her, Cheshire Police said.

Salah was found guilty of three counts of rape following a 14-day trial in September and was sentenced to 15 years in prison at Chester Crown Court on Monday.

Cheshire Police said the victim's audio recording of the attack provided "crucial" evidence that helped to convict Salah.

Det Supt Helena Banusic commended the woman for her bravery, adding that she hoped the result would provide her with some closure.

"What Salah did to the victim is deplorable and then he put her through the trauma of having to relive the experience by way of a trial," she said.

"Securing justice for the victim and ensuring the local community is safeguarded from this dangerous and depraved individual has been our number one priority throughout this investigation."

Police said they had also started the process to deport Salah back to his home country of Iraq once he had served his sentence.

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