A Sheffield man who raped a woman six times and threatened to kill her family if she did not withdraw her police complaint has been jailed for 20 years.
Farman Ali, 28, subjected the woman to sexual, physical and mental abuse over a six-month period between 2024 and 2025.
He raped her six times and sexually assaulted her twice.
Sheffield Crown Court heard that after the woman reported what had happened, Ali tracked her down and attempted to force her to abandon the case.
Two women, Zarina Zarina, 60, and Saadia Mohammad, 43, assisted Ali in the abuse and have also been jailed.
Victim Reported Abuse To Police
The woman reported what had happened to police in January 2025.
Officers acted immediately and arrested Ali, Zarina and Mohammad the following day.
Despite Ali’s arrest and the investigation beginning, he continued targeting the victim.
Threatened To Kill Her Family
After learning she had reported him, Ali tried to intimidate the woman into withdrawing her allegations.
He threatened to kill her family if she continued supporting the case.
She nevertheless continued cooperating with police and pursued the prosecution against him.
The court previously heard that Ali had also dictated messages in an attempt to force her to tell investigators she no longer wished to support proceedings.
Police Built ‘Wealth Of Evidence’
Investigators gathered extensive evidence during the case.
This included forensic evidence, photographs documenting the victim’s injuries, witness statements and CCTV footage.
Despite the evidence against him, Ali pleaded not guilty and the case proceeded to trial.
Convicted Of 11 Charges
A jury at Sheffield Crown Court rejected Ali’s denials.
He was convicted on May 14, 2026, of 11 offences, including six counts of rape.
The offences also included sexual assaults and witness intimidation.
He returned to court for sentencing on October 1.
Victim Described Lasting Trauma
During sentencing, the victim’s impact statement described the lasting effect of Ali’s abuse.
She said: “I don’t feel alive anymore. Everything feels unreal, like I’m watching my life from far away.”
She added: “I feel like a part of me died a long time ago, and will never come back.”
Victims of sexual offences are automatically granted lifelong anonymity and cannot legally be identified.
Judge Rejects Remorse
Judge David Dixon jailed Ali for 20 years.
The judge said expressions of remorse put forward on Ali’s behalf appeared aimed at persuading the court to impose a more lenient sentence.
Defending, Andrew Petterson said there was little that could be advanced in mitigation, but asked the court to consider Ali’s lack of previous convictions and the fact that it would be his first prison sentence.
Judge Praises Victim
Judge Dixon addressed the woman directly during sentencing.
“You are an incredibly brave and strong woman to have come forward,” he said.
He added: “If there is nothing else to take away from this, you may have been weak at the time but you are absolutely not now. I wish you well for the future.”
Two Women Also Jailed
Zarina Zarina, 60, and Saadia Mohammad, 43, assisted Ali during the period in which the woman was being abused.
Both pleaded guilty to the charges against them at Sheffield Crown Court on May 5.
They were each sentenced on October 1 to three years and two months in prison.
Both women were found not guilty of assault.
Officer Praises Victim’s ‘Immeasurable Strength’
Detective Constable Peter Bazley, who led the investigation, praised the woman for coming forward.
“First and foremost, I would like to recognise the immeasurable strength the victim in this case had in coming forward and reporting this abhorrent abuse,” he said.
He thanked her for placing her trust in police and also praised the investigative team for its work on the case.
‘Two Decades Is The Least He Deserves’
DC Bazley said: “Two decades in prison is the least this sick and abusive man deserves, and I am glad that the women who aided him in his crimes will also spend time behind bars.”
He added that police take reports of sexual violence seriously and would continue working to secure justice for victims.
