SHOFIK ALI FROM HASLINGDEN BRANDED ANIMAL AFTER HORRIFIC RAPE OF THREE GIRLS IN EAST LANCASHIRE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Haslingden and the wider East Lancashire area, Shofik Ali, aged 22, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after being convicted of raping three young girls. The heinous crimes took place over a period during which Ali subjected his victims to a terrifying ordeal that has left a lasting scar on those involved.

According to court proceedings, Ali lured the three girls into a house in Rochdale after a day of drinking and socializing. The girls, all younger than Ali, were initially driven around East Lancashire, where they purchased alcohol and consumed it together. The situation took a dark turn when Ali's behavior became aggressive and threatening. He forcibly took the girls to a house in Rochdale, where he detained them in a room, confiscated their mobile phones, and subjected them to a series of sexual assaults.

During the trial at Bolton Crown Court, it was revealed that Ali, of Wells Street, Haslingden, had driven the girls around while drinking, but his demeanor soon turned violent. He dragged one girl into a bedroom, barricading the door with a bed and demanding sex. The court heard that Ali, in a fit of rage, punched one girl on the nose to coerce her into compliance. At one point, he threatened to burn down the house unless one of the victims agreed to his demands, adding a layer of terror to an already horrific situation.

Ali denied four charges of rape and assault by penetration. However, the jury found him guilty of all four counts of rape, while acquitting him of the assault charge. The judge, Timothy Clayson, sentenced Ali to 14 years in prison and ordered him to register as a sex offender for life. The judge described Ali as worse than an animal, emphasizing the severity of his crimes.

Following the sentencing, Coun David Stansfield, representing the Worsley ward of Haslingden where Ali resides, expressed his outrage. He stated, “He’s worse than an animal. The people of Haslingden will be pleased that this kind of offender is off our streets. If it was left to me he would have got 20 years.”

Prosecutor Peter Barr detailed the events leading up to Ali’s arrest, noting that the girls, all minors, were driven around East Lancashire, drinking and socializing before ending up at the house in Rochdale. An argument erupted, during which Ali began destroying furniture, prompting police to intervene. Officers removed him from the scene and dropped him off at Rochdale bus station, intending for him to return home to Haslingden. However, Ali returned to the same house, where he forcibly took the girls’ mobile phones and then physically assaulted one of them by grabbing her hair and pushing her into a bedroom. Inside, Ali raped her, and when the other girls attempted to intervene, he continued his assault, raping the second girl and forcing himself on the third against her will.

The court heard that Ali then threatened to keep the girls prisoner and set the flat on fire if they did not comply with his demands for sex. The victims managed to escape and reported the incident to police, who arrested Ali the following day. It was also revealed that Ali had a prior conviction, having served 18 months in prison in December 2009 for conspiracy to defraud, related to a £96,000 eBay scam, indicating a history of criminal behavior.

Ali’s case has left a community in shock, with many expressing relief that he has been removed from the streets, though the scars of his actions will remain with the victims for a lifetime.