Brothers go on trial accused of grooming underage girls in Barrow

From the North West Mail

I noticed that this trial was on-going from the Court List, on the date that was set after a trial started, in September 2023, but with certain reporting restrictions. However it is good to see that the local press are permitted to report at least some of the proceedings. 

THREE brothers have gone on trial accused of grooming and sexually exploiting underage girls in Barrow.

Joman Miah, 38; Amran Miah, 48; and Alman Miah, 46 – all originally from Beeston in Leeds, are together charged by the Crown Prosecution Service with 63 charges.

A jury sitting at Preston Crown Court on September 4 heard the alleged offences took place in Leeds and Barrow between February 1996 and February 2010 involving five girls.

Opening the case, Tim Evans purported to the jury how Joman, who was known by the nickname ‘Saj’, groomed and sexually assaulted a girl while he was working at Iesha’s – a takeaway owned by his family from 2008

He said there Joman had a sexual relationship with a girl when she was aged 13 to 16 whilst he was in his early to mid-20s.

Mr Evans explained: “A key part of the ‘relationship’ was that Saj / Joman was treating (her) to pretty much whatever she wanted: – buying her presents, topping up her phone as well as buying her friends food. He would also buy her cigarettes, beer and give her £40 in cash a month which she would tell her mum that it was her wages for working at the takeaway.”

Mr Evans said on one occasion Joman allegedly said after an altercation at the takeaway that ‘in his religion a girl could marry an adult male from the age of nine.’

About five months into their relationship, the court heard Joman allegedly took the girl to have sex in a Barrow hotel, The Gables. Mr Evans said the prosecution could prove this occurred on eight separate occasions.

The prosecution further alleges that Joman would cover his tracks and sneak her in after 10:30pm as there would be no one on reception. The girl would apparently lie to her mum and say she was staying overnight at a friend’s house, Mr Evans added.

Joman’s older brother, Alman, known as ‘Ali’ also allegedly had sex with the same girl when she was 15, the court heard.

Another victim, accuses Amran, known by the nickname ‘Jai’, of raping her. He said the victim ‘froze’ when he pulled her shorts down and described how ‘she was in shock – not believing what was happening to her’.

The court heard the victim spoke with Cumbria Police in 2009 about the incident.

Mr Evans told the court once Amran found out, he allegedly threatened to hurt her family if she spoke out again.

Jurors heard shortly afterwards how the girl was bundled into a car and told by Amran: ‘You better watch your mouth. You don’t know who you are dealing with and there will be consequences. You have been warned, once you screw one (of us) over, you screw us all over.’

The court heard Joman and Amran are accused of indecently assaulting two other girls from the age of seven in Leeds. The court heard one of the girls claimed Joman sexually assaulted her at least weekly at a mosque in Leeds, where he taught the Qur’an and she was his pupil.

Joman denies 41 sexual offences, Amran denies 16 sexual offences, two charges of intimidation and one of kidnap, whilst Alman denies three other sexual assault charges.

The trial continues.

So far there is no new evidence from that given at the trial that started last year. I’ll keep checking.