A former Labour mayor has been convicted of perverting the course of justice after helping her son hide his mobile phone when police arrived to investigate the rape of a 15-year-old girl.
Naheed Ejaz, 61, was found guilty after refusing to let officers into her home in Bracknell, Berkshire, giving her son time to conceal his device. Prosecutors said the phone was believed to contain a video of the sexual assault.
Her son, Diwan Khan, 41, was convicted of raping the teenager after giving her MDMA mixed with alcohol. The court heard that the victim blacked out and later woke up undressed in the back of his car.
Khan later showed her a video of the assault, in which he was seen choking and hitting her. He also threatened to share the footage with her family if she reported the incident and sent her the clip. He had already admitted perverting the course of justice in relation to hiding his phone.
Both defendants were convicted following a six-day trial at Winchester Crown Court.
Prosecutor Ed Wylde told the court that Ejaz delayed police entry for more than a minute and a half while speaking to her son in Urdu. He said the pair avoided using the word “phone” because it would have alerted officers.
Body-worn camera footage captured Khan referring to “the big bell”, with Ejaz responding: “Keep silent, I know.” Prosecutors said this showed an attempt to conceal evidence.
Mr Wylde said Ejaz had allowed “a mother’s love” to cloud her judgement and had helped her son hide the device, which was never recovered. Police later seized 26 SIM cards from the property.
The court heard that Ejaz may have hidden the phone herself or left it in her bedroom. She was described as being worried about the consequences for her son and her public position.
Defending, Clare Evans said Ejaz had not intended to obstruct justice and had delayed opening the door to wake her son and persuade him to cooperate. She said her client had tried to search for the phone and assist officers.
Khan’s defence argued that the victim had lied about her age, claiming she said she was 22. The court rejected this argument.
Judge Rufus Taylor noted inconsistencies in the evidence and the large number of SIM cards found at the address.
Ejaz served as Mayor of Bracknell Forest between 2023 and 2024, with Khan occasionally appearing alongside her at official events. She had completed her term shortly before the offence in September 2024.
Both Ejaz and Khan will be sentenced at a later date.