A Syrian refugee who pretended to help a vulnerable young mother get home after a Christmas night out has been jailed for raping her after deceiving her into a taxi and taking her to his home instead.
Mohammed Al Masri, 25, was sentenced to eight years in prison after a jury found him guilty of rape following a trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court. The judge also ruled him to be a dangerous offender.
The attack took place on the night of 21 December 2025 after the woman, who had been drinking with a friend in Manchester city centre, became separated while trying to find a taxi home.
Prosecutors said Al Masri and another man approached the victim, offered to book her an Uber and entered her postcode into the app, convincing her they were taking her home.
Instead, they directed the taxi to a house in Abbey Hey, Gorton, where Al Masri was living in a house of multiple occupation. The victim was so intoxicated she had to be carried from the taxi into the property.
Once inside, Al Masri falsely reassured her that she was safe and claimed her boyfriend was on his way to collect her before telling her to sleep. She later awoke to find Al Masri raping her while another man remained in the room. The victim believes the second man may have filmed part of the attack.
Despite her condition, she managed to share her live location with her boyfriend via WhatsApp. After he alerted police, officers rushed to the address and found the woman extremely distressed. She immediately ran into the arms of responding officers.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the young mother described believing she would never see her children again.
“I genuinely questioned if I would leave this place with my life,” she said.
“I remember thinking, ‘I am going to die’. I was thinking about my children and how they would be able to live without a mum.”
She said the trauma left her unable to leave her home, fearful of other people and struggling to care for her children.
Judge Recorder Alexandra Simmonds said the offence involved elements of abduction because the victim had been deliberately deceived into believing she was being taken home. She told Al Masri the victim was in no condition to consent to sexual activity and said he had continued to deny the offence despite overwhelming evidence.
Al Masri, who fled Syria and was granted five years’ leave to remain in the UK until 2029, was also made subject to lifetime notification requirements, a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order. His barrister said any decision over deportation would be a matter for immigration authorities.
Following sentencing, the Crown Prosecution Service described Al Masri as having posed as a “good Samaritan” while deliberately targeting a lone, intoxicated woman.
Greater Manchester Police praised the victim for her courage throughout the investigation and urged anyone affected by rape or sexual violence to come forward.