Prosecution closes its case in Banbury sexual grooming trial

From the Oxford Times

THE prosecution has closed its case in the trial of seven Banbury men accused of sexually abusing teenage girls. It is alleged that eight girls were groomed and abused by the group – known locally as ‘BB or B2’ – between 2011 and 2013. 

Prosecution barrister Stuart Trimmer QC told a jury at Oxford Crown Court they organised parties for under-18s to target their victims.

The defendants are Ahmed Hassan-Sule, 21, of Glyndebourne Gardens; Said Saleh, 20, of Orchard Way; Mohamed Saleh, 21, of Orchard Way; Takudzwa Hova, 21, of Broughton Road; Kagiso Manase, 26, of Warwick Road; Alexandru Nae, 19, of Broome Way; and a 17-year-old who cannot be named.

They deny 26 charges, including 19 counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, three counts of rape and two counts of sexual assault. 

The jury was shown a photo of two partially naked people, a male and what Judge Zoe Smith described as “a young girl”, taken from Mohamed Saleh’s phone. Mr Trimmer said: “The male appears to be lying over the female. There is nothing more known about that image in terms of the identity of the people, except that the girl is white and the male is black.” 

Last month the BBC reported; A 17-year-old girl has told a jury she was forced to have sex with men in parks in Banbury when she was 14. The girl, who cannot be named, told Oxford Crown Court she “thought it was normal” that she was passed around a group of men for sex. 

The prosecution alleges the offences took place in cars, woods or at the defendants’ homes. It is claimed some of the men abused the girls at Spiceball Park in Banbury, at Banbury United Football Club, and other locations in the town centre.

The folowing day the Banbury Cake reported: the first complainant to give evidence was cross examined about her allegation that when she was 13 or 14 she had sex with Hassan-Sule, Mohamed Saleh and Said Saleh in a park.

Michael Magarian QC, barrister for Hassan-Sule, asked her: “Why didn’t you complain to the police about it?”

The witness answered: “I thought that they liked me, I thought they were my friends, that they wouldn’t do that.”

Later the barrister asked: “When you were 13 and 14 were you going around pretending that you were a little bit older?” 

She said: “No.”

The trial continues next Wednesday.