Perth Sex assault restaurant owner jailed

Aug 29 2008 by Les Stewart, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A PROMINENT member of the Perth Muslim community who indecently assaulted two teenage girls who worked for him was jailed for a total of 45 months at Perth Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

When 56-year-old father-of-three Farooq Hussain is released, he will be monitored for a further 30 months “to protect the public from harm.”

Hussain, of Pitcullen Crescent, will also have his name on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

A jury last month took over five hours to deliver their majority verdicts of guilty against Hussain, a well-known local businessman who once had interests in three Indian restaurants in the town.

Said to pray five times a day at his local mosque, he was convicted of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl at the Al Farooq Restaurant in County Place, Perth, in November, 2002, by touching and fondling her.

He was also found guilty of fondling another girl, aged 14, at a property in Crieff Road, Perth, in July last year and indecently assaulting the same girl at a house in New Row, Perth, last August.

The court heard that saliva was found on the upper part of the body of one of the victims.

The father of one of the victims said afterwards that the jail terms should have been even longer.

“This has been an absolute nightmare for the whole family,” he said..

“His solicitor spoke as if he was an angel – as far as I am concerned he’s an animal. He deserved everything he got.”

The court was told that saliva was found on the upper part of the body of one of the victims.

It contained DNA which matched Hussain’s – and the probability it did not come from him was said to be “one in a million”.

He claimed he had spat on the girl’s breasts because he was disgusted and degraded she had lifted her top.

Solicitor David Holmes said that his client still maintained the position he held at the trial – he denied committing the offences.

He added: “The publicity which followed the trial caused significant humiliation to Mr Hussain and his family.”

That, however, had also prompted several testimonials in his support.

One described him as “an extremely caring individual, always able to provide help and support.”

A letter from the surgeon who treated him after a horrific assault in his County Place restaurant in December, 2001, said the incident had almost killed him.

He added: “He continues to struggle putting his life back together. He has never been the same man following this.”

Mr Holmes asked that a non-custodial sentence, perhaps probation, should be imposed.

But Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said that prison was the “only appropriate disposal,” in this case.

The girls were in his employment at the time and in a situation where he should have been looking after their interests and welfare.

But he added: “You breached and abused that trust.”

He had also “besmirched the character” of one of the victims by attempting to give an innocent explanation for the compelling evidence which pointed to his guilt.