A RELIGIOUS teacher in South London has been jailed for 10 years for sexually abusing two boys and inflicting “severe psychological harm” on them.
Croydon Crown Court found Muhammad Asgar, 68, guilty of attempting to rape one of the boys and sexually abusing the other. The offences took place over three years.
Asgar, from Thornton Heath, taught the Qu'ran at Croydon Mosque & Islamic Centre and would forcibly kiss his first victim and rub his genitals against him, the court heard.
He also attempted to rape the boy by stripping and bending him over a sofa, the court heard. His actions traumatised the boy and disrupted his education, jurors were told.
Asgar was accused of sexually abusing another child - aged under 13 - before his offences were reported to the police.
Asgar pleaded not guilty to the offences and his lawyer claimed the teacher’s “previous good character and reputation had been destroyed” because of the accusations.
While sentencing Asgar last Friday (3), the court also subjected him to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
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During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)