Blackburn man jailed for raping three women

A man has been jailed for 17 years for raping three women between 2021 and 2023 in Preston and Darwen.

In the early hours of 3 October 2021, Nazim Asmal, 35, from Blackburn, approached a 23-year-old woman, who had lost her friends during a night out in Preston city centre, in his Audi Coupe. 

He offered her a lift home, but drove her to secluded area near Preston docks where he raped her twice. 

He eventually dropped her off at home where a concerned passer-by came across her in a distressed state and helped her.

In the early hours of 8 April 2023, Asmal approached a 35-year-old woman, who had spent the evening out with family in Darwen, in a Toyota Yaris. 

The woman, believing he was a taxi driver, got into the car and asked to be taken home. He instead drove her to a secluded area. 

He repeated "You don't want to pay for this taxi, do you?" before raping her then dropping her off near her home, where a member of the public came to her assistance.

Lancashire police officers identified the Yaris as belonging to Asmal. When they arrested him, they seized his phone. On that phone they were able to identify and approach a third woman who had been raped a few weeks before.

The 19-year-old woman told officers that she had been approached by Asmal in the Yaris in the early hours of 5 March 2023 in Darwen after she had been out on a night out with friends. 

She had got into the car thinking it was a taxi, but he took her away from the direction of her home,  parked up, and raped her. 

The following day he called her phone three times. When she answered she recognised his voice as her attacker and hung up. A few days later he attended her place of work and asked for her.

The police linked the attacks together and the Crown Prosecution Service authorised for Asmal to be charged with raping all three women. On 17 November 2023 he pleaded guilty to four counts of rape.

On 1 August 2024, Nazim Asmal was sentenced to 17 years in custody, with an extended licence period of five years. He was also issued with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must sign the sex offenders register for life.

Janet Potter, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the North West Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said: "Nazim Asmal is an extremely dangerous man who targeted lone women at night. He led them to believe he was a good citizen offering to help them get home safely, when he is in fact a predator who was intent on using serious sexual violence towards them.

"Asmal's despicable actions have had a devastating effect on all the women, who have changed how they live their lives since he attacked them. I would like to thank them for supporting the prosecution case which has enabled us to bring him to justice. I hope that following today's sentence they can begin to move forward with their lives.

"Every woman has the right to feel and be safe on our streets no matter what time of day or night without fear of being sexually assaulted. The CPS is committed to bringing offenders who commit crimes against women to justice."