AZUKA OLUH FROM BURSTLEM SENTENCED FOR ATTEMPTED RAPE IN STOKE-ON-TRENT

In March 2012, a serious criminal case unfolded involving Azuka Oluh, a man with ties to the Burslem area, who was ultimately sentenced to a lengthy prison term after attempting to commit a sexual assault on a schoolgirl. The incident took place in Stoke-on-Trent, where Oluh, aged 35 and a married father of one, was found guilty of attempting to rape a young girl he had picked up in his taxi.

The court proceedings revealed that Oluh, a Nigerian national, had stopped his vehicle after noticing the girl waiting at a bus stop. Believing he was offering her a ride to school, the girl entered his taxi. However, instead of heading to her destination, Oluh drove to his residence located on St George's Avenue in Burslem. It was there that he made an attempt to sexually assault her.

Prosecutor David Bennett detailed the disturbing sequence of events, stating, "She continually asked him to take her to school. He kissed her mouth. She pulled away, saying she had to go to school. The defendant told her he would look after her and give her things." The court heard that Oluh then led the girl into his bedroom, where he began touching her and removed her clothing. The assault was halted when the girl, who was a virgin, expressed her distress and said she needed to go to school.

Following the incident, Oluh dressed himself and took the girl to her school. Before she left, he handed her £5 and instructed her not to tell anyone about what had happened. He also offered to give her more money, indicating an attempt to silence her. The girl later confided in a friend, and police were contacted. Evidence collected included a used condom found at Oluh’s home and DNA samples from swabs taken from the victim, which matched Oluh’s DNA.

Oluh pleaded guilty to the charge of attempted rape. During mitigation, his lawyer, Mark Connor, argued that it was an attempt and emphasized that Oluh had stopped himself after asking the girl if she was a virgin. Connor stated, "It was an attempt. He asked her if she was a virgin and he stopped. He realised what he was doing was wrong and he stopped. He did not go through with it and it was his decision not to go through with it."

Judge Paul Glenn sentenced Oluh to five years and four months in prison, with an extended license period of four years. The court also ordered that Oluh be placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and disqualified him from working with children for life. In his sentencing remarks, Judge Glenn described Oluh as a dangerous individual, highlighting the gravity of his actions. "Your victim was a schoolchild going to school. Instead of taking her to school, you took her to your home address, against her express wishes. You pushed her upstairs. She tried to push you off without success. You gave her £5. That was hush money. She was highly distressed," the judge said.

Furthermore, Judge Glenn noted Oluh’s admitted sexual attraction to adolescent girls and described his conduct as persistent, calculated, and deliberate. He concluded that Oluh met the criteria of a dangerous offender, emphasizing the serious nature of his criminal behavior and the threat he poses to the community.