A Kurdish man who came to the UK on a small boat has been sentenced to seven years in prison for the rape of an 18-year-old woman in a Staffordshire park.
Attack After Snapchat Meeting
Mehmet Ogur, aged 27, was convicted at Stafford Crown Court following a trial last summer. The court heard that Ogur, a trained veterinary technician who was living at the Holiday Inn Express in Tamworth, met the teenager in January 2025 after they made contact on Snapchat.
Days later, they met in person and engaged in consensual kissing and cuddling in a secluded area of a park near Tamworth town centre. The situation then escalated violently. The jury was told the victim screamed for him to stop as she tried to struggle free.
"He Completely Destroyed Me": Victim's Impact
Before the sentencing on Monday, 12th January 2026, the young woman bravely read a victim impact statement to the court. "I'm a survivor of rape by Mehmet Ogur," she said. "No words can explain what he put me through. He completely changed me as a person."
She addressed Ogur directly, stating: "The truth is, I don't think I'll ever get through it. He completely destroyed me. It's been nearly a year since you raped me, but it still feels like yesterday."
Messages of Apology and a Guilty Verdict
Despite denying any wrongdoing during his trial, evidence showed Ogur had sent the victim messages apologising for his actions. One note read: "I am really sorry, I didn't actually want to do this but I couldn't stop myself." Another stated: "I am sorry for trying to force you to have sex."
Ogur claimed that using Google Translate had altered the meaning of the messages. However, the prosecution successfully argued they represented a "full and complete admission" of guilt.
Passing sentence, Judge John Edwards said the rape had caused "immense harm" to the victim. He noted Ogur was a man of intelligence who had witnessed extreme violence before being "grabbed from the middle of the sea" to come to Britain.
The judge added: "Your continued stay in the United Kingdom will be for others to determine, not for me." Ogur, who was assisted by a Turkish interpreter, showed no apparent emotion in the dock as he was jailed.
Detective Constable Samuel Infanti of Staffordshire Police praised the victim's "tremendous bravery". Sachan Gautam from the Crown Prosecution Service described it as a deeply distressing case where Ogur's behaviour escalated to a violent and traumatic rape.
