ABUDI SALHAB JAILED FOR BRUTAL ATTACK IN YORK CITY CENTRE
In October 2019, a disturbing incident unfolded in the heart of York city centre involving Abudi Salhab, a 24-year-old man whose violent actions left a young girl severely traumatized.Salhab, who resides on Brinkworth Terrace off Hull Road in York, was convicted of multiple charges following a trial that revealed the extent of his brutality.
According to court reports, Salhab had previously filmed himself engaging in a degrading and humiliating sexual assault on a 16-year-old girl.
The assault took place during the early hours of June 13, 2018, a night that would mark a dark chapter for the victim.
Just before entering his vehicle, Salhab had also attacked a man on the street without any apparent provocation, an act that added to the series of violent behaviors he exhibited that night.
Prosecutor Robert Stevenson told the jury that during the car journey, Salhab threatened to kill the teenager, heightening the terror she experienced.
The girl, overwhelmed and frightened, curled up in a ball in the footwell of the car as Salhab repeatedly struck her head and face.
Witnesses later described how Salhab’s vehicle swerved erratically across the road, indicating a reckless and dangerous driving pattern.
Judge Simon Hickey, presiding over the case at York Crown Court, sentenced Salhab to a total of four years and three months in prison.
The judge described the assault as particularly heinous, noting that Salhab punched the girl so forcefully that her eye immediately closed and then pulled out clumps of her hair, an act that was especially degrading and has left lasting scars.
The judge emphasized the cruelty of the attack, stating, “That was to be particularly degrading for a woman.
It hasn’t even grown back now.” Fortunately, the assault was witnessed by two young men who intervened.
They saw Salhab eject the girl from the vehicle and managed to escort her to a safe location behind a church, where they contacted emergency services.
Their quick response was crucial in preventing further harm.
Salhab denied causing actual bodily harm, sexual assault, and affray, but the jury found him guilty on all three counts.
Additionally, he admitted to a charge of drink driving committed during the incident.
Despite his denials, the court also ordered him to be placed on the sex offenders’ register for life, barred from working with vulnerable or young people, and prohibited from driving for 49 months.
During the trial, Salhab attempted to justify his actions by claiming the victim was injured in an accident that damaged his car’s steering.
He also alleged that the girl had argued with him and grabbed the steering wheel during the journey.
Furthermore, he denied involvement in the explicit video, asserting that neither he nor the victim were the individuals depicted, and claimed provocation in the street was to blame for his behavior.
Following the verdict, Salhab wrote a letter to the judge, which was read aloud by Mr.
Heyworth.
In the letter, he apologized for “the hurt and pain he has caused,” but notably, he did not accept full guilt for his actions.
The court heard from three victim personal statements, in which the teenage girl described ongoing mental health struggles, including regular psychiatric visits, counseling, sleep disturbances, and anxiety, underscoring the lasting impact of the assault on her life.
