Man broke into Cardiff family home and carried out sick act in front of children

Cardiff Crown Court(Image: Media Wales)

A Palestinian asylum seeker who arrived in the UK in March has been jailed for six years after breaking into a family home in Cardiff and exposing himself to two children.

Mohammed Abbas, 29, previously pleaded guilty to burglary, trespass on a premises with intent to commit a sexual offence, and two counts of engaging in sexual activity in presence of a child.

Cardiff Crown Court heard on Tuesday that Abbas entered the family home in the early hours of the morning and masturbated in front of the two girls, who had been sleeping in their bedroom along with their older sister. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here

Judge Lucy Crowther sentenced Abbas, who was living in accommodation provided by the Home Office at the time of his offending, to six years in prison with an extended licence period of three years due to the "real and imminent" threat he poses to women and girls.

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The court heard that Abbas was drunk and walking along a street in Cardiff in the early hours of July 30 this year when he began trying to open the windows of houses.

The judge said: "Once inside, you went upstairs and whilst there you went into a bedroom, there were three young women asleep in that room, three sisters who shared that room.

"At or around two o'clock in the morning, (one of the sisters) was woken from her sleep.

"She looked around and saw you. You were crouched down in the corner of the room."

She said the girl initially thought Abbas was her brother and called out to him, to which he replied "sorry".

The court heard the girl began to scream, waking her sisters, one of whom said she saw Abbas briefly leave the room.

The judge said: "When you come back in you undid your trousers and exposed your penis.

"You must have realised then that these were all young women.

"You repeatedly asked the girls whether they wanted to have sex with you, you asked that three times.

"Whilst they were screaming, in what must have been obvious fear of you, you masturbated in their bedroom, right in front of them as they lay in their beds.

"Their screams did not put you off, on the contrary, you moved further into their bedroom."

The court heard Abbas continued to masturbate and at the same time reached towards the bedroom door in an attempt to remove a doorstop that was propping it open.

One of the girls saw Abbas put a hand on the railing of one of the bunkbed ladders and move his foot to try to climb it.

The judge said: "You got so close to (one of the girls) she ended up hitting you with a pillow for she didn't know what else to do.

"She struck you repeatedly."

The court heard that the commotion awoke other members of the household, who turned on their lights, causing Abbas to flee and leaving the girls "crying hysterically".

It was later discovered that Abbas had also stolen Apple AirPods belonging to one of the girls while inside the property and a jacket belonging to their father.

The judge said the incident was said to have taken place over a minute and a half "that to those young women must've felt like a lifetime of terror".

Addressing Abbas, she added: "You had no regard for that family, or for those three young women as they slept.

"This offending was entirely about you and your sexual gratification, at any cost.

"This type of offending strikes unimaginable terror and fear into the hearts of right-minded people."

The judge added: "I'm satisfied you intended to rape at least one of these girls."

CCTV footage from neighbouring properties led officers to Abbas and he was arrested at his accommodation in Cardiff, where he lived alone.

Abbas initially denied the offences in interview and said he had only left the house that night to buy food – but the AirPods and jacket were found in his home and his DNA was also linked to the doorhandle of the girls' bedroom.

The court heard Abbas had been living in accommodation provided by the Home Office at the time and was in receipt of a £30 a week allowance, which he spent on food, alcohol, tobacco and cannabis.

He was said to have previously expressed misogynistic views and has since exposed himself to prison staff while in custody.

The judge said she was imposing a sentence of six years in custody with an extended licence period of three years due to the "real and imminent" risk Abbas poses to women and girls, adding that the earliest point he could be deported would be after completing his custodial term.

The girls' mother said in a statement read to the court: "The hardest part is knowing that I can't simply take these memories away from them.

"I can comfort them and support them but I can't undo what happened.

"I want the court to understand that the impact of this incident goes far beyond the events of that day.

"It has affected my daughters' emotional wellbeing, their education and the ability to feel safe in their home.

"Every child deserves to feel safe in their own home.

"My daughters should not have been deprived of that basic sense of security and that is something no parent should ever have to witness."

Rebecca Griffiths, prosecuting, said Abbas had one previous conviction for assault of a constable and battery, which had been committed at a hotel in Warwick, where Abbas had been a resident.

She said: "He was seen standing on tables and shouting at staff, causing them distress to the extent that they locked themselves into the kitchen area.

"The police arrived soon after and he was arrested. He was aggressive with them and spat at them."

The court heard he was sentenced for these offences on July 14 this year and handed a 12-month community order, and that his offending in Cardiff took place 16 days after that order was made.

David Pinnell, defending, said Abbas, who says he is Palestinian, was drunk at the time of his offending in Cardiff and has since "accepted full responsibility" for his behaviour.

He added: "He had been provided with accommodation by the Home Office in Cardiff.

"He is someone who has made an application to the Home Office for asylum – I'm told that application has been received but has not yet been determined."

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