Oxford News
Oxford rapist who fled to Iraq is jailed for 13 years
Salam Karis, 35, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Friday after an incident at a towpath near Hythe Bridge Street on January 19, 2014.
The court heard he fled the country after being granted bail, and only returned to the UK in a small boat from Iraq in July last year.
He was convicted by a jury of three counts of rape at a trial earlier this year of raping the woman after they had been at The Bridge Nightclub and Anuba which was part of the same set-up.
The court heard the woman had been visiting a friend in Oxford at the time of the incident after travelling up from Brighton.
The woman told the jury that her friend had just turned 18 and they were planning to go out.
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After being given drinks at the club by Karis and others, she was led away from the club towards the canal towpath and a wooded area and raped.
The victim, now 32, read out an impact statement in court. She said: “I was driven two hours in a police car to a rape crisis centre in Milton Keynes.
“The examination was deeply humiliating. I felt like a lab rat. I’m haunted by the memory of the forensic examination.
“I could not have imagined justice would take this long. After the incident I was emotionally derailed and emotionally unstable.
“I’ve always been a very strong woman. Despite this, I have suffered with vulnerability.
“For years, I have experienced random panic attacks. The defendant skipped bail and fled the country illegally.
“Bail should never have been given in the first place, the justice system failed me. I have spent 12 years trying to heal from something that should never have happened.
“I hope justice will prevail.”
The court heard that Karis initially came to the UK when he was 17 in 2008 from war-torn Iraq. Also that he has no previous convictions.
In mitigation, that court heard that Karis continues to deny that the offences were committed by him, but was sorry for the impact on the victim.
Judge Maria Lamb said: “12 years ago, in the dark and in the rain on a towpath by the canal, you raped the victim.
“You were convicted unanimously of your crimes. She was able to say ‘no’ and she said it more than once and you ignored her.
“It’s clear the impact on her has been devastating. You ran away to escape the consequences of your crimes.
“She has suffered from severe psychological harm.”
Karis was jailed for 13 years and given an indefinite restraining order to not contact the victim.
He was also put on the sex offenders’ register for life.
Young Sherlock, a British mystery television series, will see Hero Fiennes Tiffin return as the titular character.
A Georgian Square in Bristol is being transformed back to the Victorian era ‘Oxford’ ahead of the filming of the second series.
The series, first aired in March this year, is inspired by Andrew Lane’s Young Sherlock Holmes book series.
It was created by Matthew Parkhill and developed by Peter Harness and Guy Ritchie, who also directed two episodes.
Other main cast members returning include Dónal Finn (James Moriarty), Natascha McElhone, Max Irons, and Holly Cattle, who play Sherlock’s family members.
The series synopsis reveals: “As a 19-year-old at Oxford University, Sherlock Holmes is not yet the master detective he grows up to be.
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“He is raw and unfiltered, and he lacks discipline.
“A murder at Oxford puts Holmes’s freedom at risk, and he sets out to solve his first murder mystery that leads him to a global-level conspiracy.”
Young Sherlock received praise upon its release, and its 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes reflects that.
The critics’ consensus on the reviewing platform reads: “Young Sherlock doesn’t aim to recreate Conan Doyle’s work; rather, it takes pride in its liberal adaptation, delivering Guy Ritchie’s signature blend of precise entertainment, sly style, and ingratiating characters.”
One critic said: “Prime Video’s Young Sherlock is sensational.
“The series, which was adapted by Matthew Parkhill, remixes the beloved figure to deliver all the traits fans know and love — with more than one twist.”
Young Sherlock is available to stream now on Amazon Prime.
Traffic was halted on the major trunk motorway at about midday on Friday, August 7, because of a serious collision.
Cars were stopped and diverted before junction 10 with Ardley heading northbound on the motorway, before junction 11 with Banbury, and drivers travelling southbound were also stopped to allow an air ambulance to land.
READ MORE: M40 closed with two hour delays due to ‘serious’ crash
Cars experienced delays in excess of two hours on the northbound approach, with six miles of congestion reported, as well as significant delays on the A34 towards the Wendlebury Interchange and junction with the M40.
Thames Valley Police has been approached for more information on what happened but has not provided a response.
The motorway had reopened by about 3pm but residual delays remained for much of the afternoon.
Thames Valley Police’s rural crime taskforce, which frequently patrols the countryside across the north of Oxfordshire, have now revealed its officers were the first on the scene.
A spokesperson said they provided ‘an immediate response and support to those invovled’ and it is understood other emergency responders subsequently attended the scene.
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The officers also dealt with a stolen car in Kidlington and seized a van with no insurance whose driver had no licence.
In Chieveley, the taskforce arrested a driver on suspicion of possession of class A and class B drugs and driving whilst unfit through drugs, without a licence and without insurance.
It was described as a ‘proactive day highlighting the wide range of incidents Rural Crime Taskforce officers respond to across the force area’ by the team.
Environmental charity Earth Trust shared a video of the remnants of a barbecue still smouldering and surrounded by litter and burnt wood at historic chalk beech mounds the Wittenham Clumps in South Oxfordshire.
The fire, discovered on Friday, August 8, came just a day after the charity warned people about the dangers of barbecues at the green space during the extreme drought the county is facing, as ‘a single spark could develop into a wildfire’.
READ MORE: Mum jailed after teen girl beat up man, 50, hours before his death
A spokesperson for Earth Trust said: “The reality is that one small fire could easily burn through the whole of the Clumps and Bessie’s Field grasslands.
“It could spread into the hedgerows, damage the woodlands, and cause real, lasting harm to the archaeology of Castle Hill.
“A disposable BBQ might look harmless. A few glowing embers might seem like nothing. But in dry grassland, that is all it takes.
READ MORE: Police taskforce ‘first on scene’ of crash which closed M40
“Please do not bring BBQs or light fires at the Clumps or any of our nature reserves. Take your litter home. Leave no trace.
“If you see vegetation on fire, no matter how small, call 999 immediately and ask for the fire service. Do not put yourself at risk.”
People are asked to bring picnics instead, take all litter home, leave no trace on the landscape and report any signs of fire immediately to protect the iconic landscape.
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