A “predatory” refugee who sexually assaulted two women in Falkirk has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Muhammad Sheikhi was sentenced at Stirling Sheriff Court on Monday, after being found guilty at a trial in May.
Sheriff Keith O’Mahony called the assaults “deliberate and predatory”.
The sheriff said that considering the seriousness of the crimes, he was imposing a sentence at the upper end of his sentencing powers.
Sheikhi was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and ordered not to contact or approach the victims for a period of 10 years.
“During the early hours of November 30 2025 the evidence established that you targeted two young women who were alone and vulnerable as they walked home,” Sheriff O’Mahony said to Sheikhi.
“In my assessment, these (offences) were not a spontaneous act. These were deliberate and predatory sexual assaults against strangers who had every right to walk home in safety.”
He added that the assaults were “a profound violation of another person’s freedom and security” that have caused “fear” and have the potential to cause “lasting psychological harm”.
Paul Keenan, defending Sheikhi, said his client is a Syrian refugee who had fled the “terror of Isis” and that he maintains his innocence.
The 23-year-old carried out both attacks in the early hours of Sunday November 30, close to the Hotel Cladhan where he had been staying.
He targeted the first woman at a railway bridge on Kerse Lane, where he hugged her, repeatedly kissed her on the face and mouth, and put his hands under her skirt.
He then sexually assaulted a second woman in Kerse Lane and the nearby Bellsmeadow skate park, where he pinned her against a tree before putting his hands under her clothing.
Both of his victims were in their early 20s and both had been walking home alone after nights out in the town centre.
Sheikhi, who came to the UK by boat, had denied the charges and told police he had just been “roaming around” as he did not have anyone to socialise with in his hotel.
However, following a four-day trial at Stirling Sheriff Court in May, a jury found him guilty of both charges after three hours of deliberation.
At the time, prosecutor Jamie Hilland said Sheikhi had acted in a “predatory” manner towards the two women.
Sheikhi appeared in court on Monday in a black t-shirt and jeans, accompanied by a translator. He was visibly emotional when the sentence was imposed and as he left the courtroom.
The four-year sentence imposed will be backdated to December 2025 when Sheikhi was first remanded.
Procurator Fiscal Helen Nisbet said: “Muhammad Sheikhi targeted two young women who were simply trying to get home safely and subjected them to deeply distressing sexual assaults.
“These were deliberate acts against two victims who were alone and vulnerable. Their courage in coming forward has enabled him to be held accountable for his crimes.”
Ms Nisbet added: “While this type of stranger offending is thankfully rare, we recognise the profound impact it has on victims and on communities.
“Scotland’s prosecutors will continue to work closely with police and our partners to ensure that anyone who seeks to harm women and girls is brought to justice.”
