December 11, 2020 5.14 pm This story is over 54 months old

Man jailed for sexually assaulting pensioner thrice his age

He fled the country for almost 10 years
Merza Ahmad, 30, of Elm Road, Cleethorpes, was jailed for two years and four months. | Photo: Humberside Police
By Local Democracy Reporter

A 30-year-old man who fled the country to escape a court appearance for the ‘heinous’ sexual assault of a pensioner in Grimsby has been caught and jailed, almost a decade after he was charged.

Merza Ahmad, 30, of Elm Road, Cleethorpes was first charged with sexual assault in 2011, and following a first court appearance in May of that year, he fled the country.

Officers issued an arrest warrant on him and searched high and low to locate Ahmad, eventually finding him in Sligo, Ireland in 2020.

Detectives were granted a European arrest warrant and flew him back to the UK to stand trial for the historic case.

During his court appearance, the court heard how the ‘perverted’ man forced himself on the woman at a house on Freeman Street in Grimsby.

The victim was 65-years-old at the time, over three times the age of the suspect.

Ahmad was jailed for two years and four months, as well as being given ten years on the sex offenders register, following a three day trial at Grimsby Crown Court.

Detective constable Christ Clarke of Humberside Police, leading the enquiry, said: “Being a victim of sexual assault is understandably a deeply traumatic experience and can be incredibly difficult to speak up about.

“I can only applaud the bravery of the woman who was subjected to this horrifying attack for reporting what had happened to her, and for the strength she has shown throughout the entire painstaking investigation.

“Mr Ahmad thought he could run and hide, but he couldn’t. Humberside Police were dedicated to finding him and bringing him to justice for his actions, which I feel has now been served.