Ahmad Mulakhil was found guilty of rape and two counts of sexual assault following a trial last month, having already admitted a further rape charge.

He was also convicted of child abduction and taking an indecent video of the girl by the jury at Warwick Crown Court.

The court heard that Mulakhil arrived in the UK four months before committing the offences.

He had made an immigration application linked to "problems" he had experienced in Afghanistan.

The 23-year-old told the court he believed his victim to be 19 years old, and said she initiated a sexual encounter on 22 July last year.

But prosecutor Daniel Oscroft said Mulakhil's attempts to blame his victim were "stomach-churning" and "pretty revolting".

The victim, who cannot be named, said she was approached in a Nuneaton park by Mulakhil after playing on the swings. She said she had told her attacker to stop and that he was laughing while attacking her.

Sentencing Mulakhil, Judge Kristina Montgomery KC said the victim continues to suffer trauma responses and medical issues associated with the attack.

"Your victim was particularly vulnerable due to her personal circumstances and she has suffered significant and ongoing psychological harm," the judge said, adding that Mulakhil had "targeted" the girl.

She also said that the girl saying she was 19 was an "obvious" lie, with CCTV showing that "your reaction was incredulous and the jury's verdict leaves no doubt that you knew she was aged under 16".

"(After the attack), you left the area together but when you parted company, she was left alone in a park in the darkness for some time," the judge said.

"She was distressed, she was hypervigilant. Looking over her shoulder and into the woodland to see whether you were still in the area.

"She gave an immediate account of your sexual assault upon her. She was thereafter subjected to a medical examination and questioning by the police and latterly as you contested her allegations, cross examination in the court."

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In addition to jailing Mulakhil, she sentenced him to an extra 12 months on license to follow his prison sentence.

The judge told Mulakhil the jail term of 15 years was long enough to automatically render him liable for deportation.

He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life and made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order.

Mulakhil faced trial alongside Muhammad Kabir, also an Afghan asylum seeker, who was acquitted of charges of intentional strangulation, attempted child abduction and committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence.

The victim told the trial that she was approached in a park by both defendants.

The attack triggered large-scale anti-immigration protests in the town last summer. People also gathered outside the courthouse as the sentence was handed down and draped a banner saying "Stop the invasion, end immigration" over railings leading to the court.

Matvei Rumiantsev, 23, who lived in Canary Wharf, east London, was convicted in January of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and perverting the course of justice.

Snaresbrook Crown Court heard he attacked the victim at her flat in London when he became jealous of her blossoming friendship with Barron Trump after she met him through social media.

Explainer: Who is Barron Trump?

Mr Trump, 20, was in the US when he was on a video call with the victim, and called City of London Police to report witnessing the attack on 18 January last year.

A transcript of the call was read to the court, with Mr Trump telling police: "Oh I'm calling from the US, uh, I just got a call from a girl, you know, she's getting beat up."

The president's son told investigators: "I didn't expect her to pick up due to the difference in the time zone to the fact I am in the USA, the phone was answered but not by her, to my dismay.

"The individual who picked up the phone was a shirtless man with darkish hair, although I didn't get a good look, this view lasted maybe one second and I was racing with adrenaline.

"The camera was then flipped to the victim getting hit while crying, stating something in Russian. The guy had hung up. This whole interaction had lasted five to seven seconds."

As well as being convicted of assault, Rumiantsev - who was described as a "trained fighter" - was convicted of perverting the course of justice after writing to his victim from prison, asking her to withdraw her allegations.

He was found not guilty of one count of rape and intentional strangulation relating to the same day of the assault, and another count of rape and assault alleged to have occurred in November 2024.

Judge: Rumiantsev 'totally unrepentant'

During sentencing, the judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, said Rumiantsev was "totally unrepentant" and still blames the victim for what happened.

He said Rumiantsev "snapped" and hit the victim "multiple times over a prolonged period in the region of an hour" causing multiple injuries.

The judge added that when she managed to escape and reach a neighbour, Rumiantsev dragged her back into the flat by her hair.

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'Trump saw you beating her up'

He said that, during the assault, Rumiantsev answered a FaceTime call on her phone from Mr Trump.

"He [Mr Trump] saw you beating her up, and you held the phone and filmed her. An angry act to humiliate her," the judge said.

Mr Trump was praised by Mr Justice Bennathan during sentencing for "properly and responsibly" calling UK police.

He also referred to the victim's attempt to contact police: "I recall that in her first 999 call [to police] she said, quote, 'Please help me. I'm going to get killed.' I'm in no doubt whatsoever that was exactly how she felt."

The judge said Rumiantsev should be liable to deportation. But if he is not, he would be released on licence after serving 40% of his four-year sentence.

The court also issued a seven-year restraining order, banning him from contacting the victim.

Jordan Linden, 30, was convicted of 10 offences - including five sexual assaults, stalking and sexual communication - following a trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court.

Linden, who stood down as leader of North Lanarkshire Council in 2022 after the allegations came to light, was placed on the sex offenders' register ahead of his sentencing in May.

The offences took place over a 10-year period between 2011 and 2021.

Police Scotland said all of the victims were either boys or young men, with the youngest aged just 14.

The force said Linden, who also chaired the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) between 2015 and 2016, sexually assaulted two victims at a house party following a Dundee Pride parade in 2019.

Linden was charged in February 2024.

Detective Chief Inspector Diane Barr said: "This was a protracted investigation which involved speaking with a broad range of people, many of whom regarded Linden as being in a position of trust.

"He abused this position to befriend young males who were seeking his support and the opportunity to learn from his work, however his conduct toward them was far from professional.

"I'd like to thank the victims who came forward to report their experiences to police. Their testimony and support ensured that we were able to bring Linden before the courts.

"No one should be subjected to sexual offending, and we will always investigate reports, regardless of when they occurred or who the perpetrator is."

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Linden stepped down as North Lanarkshire Council leader in July 2022.

He later quit the council and the SNP in March 2023.

During his trial, some witnesses testified their complaints were downplayed or ignored by adults in the SYP and SNP.

Following Linden's conviction, the Scottish Conservatives said John Swinney must be "completely transparent" about how the SNP leadership handled the complaints.

The SNP and SYP were contacted for comment.

The teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, was found guilty last month of possession of terrorist documents, dissemination of terrorist documents and membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation.

But the jury at Leeds Crown Court failed to reach a verdict on whether he was planning a terror attack. The Crown Prosecution Service said in court it would not seek a retrial on this charge.

In February 2025, the then 15-year-old boy was arrested at his father's home in a village in Northumberland, where police found several journal entries ​​​​​​about pupils at his school.

He wrote "I swear to God I just hate my f***ing school", and "I want to do horrible things to the people in my school. Some of them should be shot", the court heard.

On the same page, the boy ranked mass murderers, with the neo-Nazi terrorist Anders Breivik topping his list.

Officers also found a "to-do list" of weapons and explosives after the arrest, and that the boy's bedroom was adorned with white supremacist flags and a Nazi SS officer's hat.

Jurors were told the boy had joined far-right groups on Telegram as early as 2023, and had researched a Newcastle synagogue, electrical substations and mobile phone towers.

Handing down the sentence, Mr Justice Wall, who refused an application to lift the teenager's anonymity, told him: "I hope that you now realise how seriously any involvement with terrorist organisations is treated.

"You expressed hatred for groups which are the habitual target of right-wing extremists, such as the Jewish community. You did so in graphic and disturbing terms.

"You said at trial that you never genuinely held such beliefs. I have no doubt you were lying about that."

The court heard during the trial that the teenager's activity escalated after he messaged a group called The Base - a proscribed terror group which encourages followers to carry out acts of violence to ignite a race war - on Telegram in August 2024.

In February last year, a Russian user, who was claiming to be the leader of The Base, urged the youth to take action, saying "we're willing to help you".

The Russian user also told him in a separate message: "Brother, do not have doubts. You are doing a benefit, a good deed for your community.

"You are a warrior, brother, and we are very proud of you. We will help you with everything you need because you are a part of us, of the brotherhood."

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Frida Hussain KC, defending, told the sentencing hearing that the youth had been "groomed" online, and his father had "reflected on the supervision he should have provided and will provide in the future".

Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, warned parents: "This case provides a stark reminder around the dangers of extreme content online, and how individuals can be drawn into serious offending.

"All too often we see the real-world implications of individuals who have been influenced by such material, or even motivated to plan or take part in terrorist activity."

After all, what are those "raising an eyebrow" at this affair saying happened?

Was Number 10's chief-of-staff running around central London at 10pm waving his phone about, willing a bike-riding burglar to pinch it (as some AI generated images depict)?

Did he fake the whole thing by chucking the phone into a dumper truck and spinning a yarn to the police to create a paper trail?

Both scenarios - even now - seem incredibly unlikely.

All of that said, I've since been asked by some within government whether these mad scenarios are what I'm suggesting by pointing out that - contrary to what the prime minister said in an interview this week - it did not seem "far-fetched" at all for anyone to think in October 2025 that a formal request for Mandelson-related messages could have come along.

For the avoidance of doubt, I'm not - and Sky News is not - saying either of these zany theories are true.

So, why cover the story at all?

For a start, it is simply not correct to say that making enquiries and running limited coverage equates to endorsing the most extreme and partisan iteration of a story.

Journalism at its core involves going down metaphorical dark alleys only to find that they don't lead you to the place you were expecting or, in many cases, they don't lead you anywhere at all.

The process is the point.

When I first got the tip off that led to our story about the former transport secretary Louise Haigh's undisclosed conviction in relation (to another) allegedly stolen mobile phone, my initial instinct was, again: I'm not sure I believe this.

The tip off was very different to the story we eventually published - in some ways it presented a more favourable picture of the situation, in others, it didn't.

But the process of journalism led us to something which was undoubtedly in the public interest to reveal.

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Likewise, when newspaper reports began to emerge about deputy prime minister Angela Rayner purchasing a fancy looking flat on the coast, my initial reaction was: "What's wrong with that?"

Stories followed suggesting she had avoided paying stamp duty using a legal - but politically problematic - method.

The defence at the time from those around Ms Rayner was comprehensive and convincing.

Still, we decided to cover the story - albeit in a relatively limited way.

Then, everything shifted.

Ms Rayner had underpaid tax, but not for the reason initially reported.

She'd in fact made a legal misstep, albeit one that looked more like a cock-up than conspiracy.

It cost her the deputy prime minister job though, as journalists and the country were led to a very different place, with fallout that still shapes politics to this day.

Should that dark alley have been ventured down? Undeniably, yes.

Sometimes, these explorations lead nowhere.

The story of Rachel Reeves failing to get the right licence when renting out her home looked, briefly, like it may cause her problems.

But an explanation was offered and the issue went away, with little to no lasting damage.

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In all these examples, perhaps the biggest point of contention, is not over whether they should be looked at, but when a news organisation should publish.

What some in Whitehall seemed particularly aggrieved by in relation to the Morgan McSweeney story was that mainstream outlets were now weighing into an online quagmire of conspiracy - feeding the beast and bringing credibility.

But for those suggesting we went too early, I offer this defence.

It is not, for me at least, that the stolen phone saga "looks bad".

To use that awfully hackneyed phrase, the "optics" do sometimes matter in politics.

But generally, we should all be far more interested in what "is" bad over what simply "looks" bad.

And on that, it is clear - regardless of the reasons lying behind it - that the potential loss of reams of messages legally demanded by parliament about Mandelson from a man instrumental in his catastrophically judged appointment as US ambassador is bad.

It's very bad.

In my book, that alone is a slam dunk for coverage and enquiry. It may lead to the place certain people are suggesting. It may lead somewhere else. It may lead nowhere.

But it's the job of journalists to find out.

And if you disagree, I'd like to tell you about a few countries that approach these things a bit differently.