The jury is now considering the case of Haider Ali, a student accused of raping two women in Stockton. The trial has raised questions about consent and communication.
Stockton: The jury is now deliberating in the trial of Haider Ali, a 31-year-old student. He is accused of raping two women within hours of each other.
Ali admits he had sex with both women but claims it was consensual. He met them late last year while looking for sex workers.
One woman testified that Ali forced himself on her. She said she approached him, but he didn’t pay her.
The second woman, who was pregnant, reported the incident to the police. She claimed she was injured and raped twice.
Ali testified that he told her he would pay her £20. He ran away when he heard her call the police.
He denies three counts of rape and insists the encounters were consensual. The jury heard he sought legal help after seeing a police appeal about him.
During cross-examination, Ali denied trying to flee the country. He claimed he had never used a sex worker before last year.
However, he admitted to using a sex worker in Pakistan years ago. He said he didn’t want to discuss it out of respect for his beliefs.
The prosecutor questioned the credibility of the two women’s testimonies. She pointed out the similarities in their accounts.
Ali moved into a shared student house and worked part-time at a pizza place. His course ended in September last year.
The defense argued that the second woman didn’t initially say she was raped when she called the police. Her father reported the incident later.
The judge emphasized that the key issues are consent and communication. He noted the differing accounts of the two women.
