A migrant living in a four-star hotel has been found guilty of sexually assaulting three women while cycling home from working at a car wash. Qais Al-Aswad attacked the victims over a three-week period along the same bike path in Horley, with the first taking place on May 23 at 9pm. A woman had left a nearby pub before he approached her from behind and “slapped her bottom”.
The second attack happened on June 4, also at 9pm, when he “grabbed hold and squeezed her bottom”, before the 26-year-old “grabbed [the] crotch and vaginal area” of a third woman while riding his bike on June 12 at 10.45am. CCTV footage in the area caught the migrant wearing recognisable jackets, trainers and an Air Jordan rucksack.
The same clothing was found during a search of his hotel room at the Four Points By Sheraton Hotel when he was arrested on June 19.
The victims, whose identities are protected, gave evidence at Staines Magistrates’ Court today.
“Out of nowhere, a guy cycled very closely past me and he slapped my bum and said excuse me as he did so,” the first woman said, reportedly aged in her 30s.
“I didn’t see his face. He was wearing a camouflage jacket.
“I was shocked. This has never happened to me before. It also made me feel violated that someone thought they could touch me inappropriately.”
The second woman, aged in her 50s, said: “I was walking along when all of a sudden there was a gentleman next to me on a bike who grabbed my left bum cheek and then cycled off.
“I was shocked so I shouted out a couple of swear words. The cyclist turned around and looked at me.
“I stook my finger up, he did the same back to me and smiled before cycling off.”
The third victim in her 20s said: “As the cyclist went past me, they reached down and touched my vagina. I turned around and shouted at them.
“They turned around and looked at me and kissed the hand that they had just touched my vagina with.
“I was shaken up instantly. It all happened incredibly quickly so I was caught off guard and just wanted to get back to my partner and daughter.”
Prosecutor Alan Balneaves said: “It’s identification through clothing, same bicycle, similar route, cell site analysis and of course the same mode of assaulting each person.”
The migrant denied three counts of sexual assault by touching, claiming the man in the CCTV wasn’t him, and that he was working with his cousins at the time of the offences.
However, a judge found him guilty of all three offences and remanded him in custody at HMP Wandsworth for sentencing on October 1.