"She was panicking as no one else was around"
Hamza Zaman, aged 20, of Trafford, Manchester, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years after he sexually assaulted a lawyer and stole a Mercedes at knifepoint.
Minshull Street Crown Court heard that he also mugged several teenagers during the year-long crime spree when he was 17.
The first incident happened in June 2017.
A 15-year-old boy was targeted by Zaman, who said he’d “f*** him up” and punched him in the face before fleeing on his bike.
The victim told his father who later tracked down Zaman.
However, Zaman made a gun gesture and told the victim’s father: “I’m going to f*** you up and I’m going to f*** your wife.”
The next month, three friends aged between 15 and 16 were walking through Chorlton when they were stopped by Zaman and his gang and ordered to hand over their mobile phones.
In February 2018, a student’s rucksack was stolen as he walked home late at night.
A businessman’s Mercedes was carjacked after he advertised the vehicle for sale on Gumtree.
Zaman and an accomplice turned up after asking to take the car for a test drive.
During the journey, a knife was held to the victim’s face. Zaman threatened to “cut-up” the victim, who pleaded with his attackers to take the car.
The pair fled with the car after letting the victim out.
Two weeks later, another driver who advertised his vehicle on Auto Trader was strangled with his own scarf and assaulted with a spanner after agreeing to let Zaman and the same accomplice test drive the car.
The victim was able to grab the keys from the ignition before fleeing.
Neil Usher, prosecuting, said a woman was targeted in May 2018 after she left work at 8 pm.
He said: “She walked to the Old Trafford tram station when she felt Zaman slap her bottom.
“She froze and saw him on his bike and then saw him brush his hand on her upper arm.
“She was panicking as no one else was around and she described how he was cycling alongside her at a very slow pace looking at her.
“She became angry and told him in no uncertain terms where to go but he just smirked and cycled off.”
Zaman was arrested after he was recognised on CCTV.
He pleaded guilty to sexual assault, robbery, attempted robbery, and witness intimidation between June 2017 and May 2018.
Zaman denied two other sexual assaults on different lone women. The charges were ordered to lie on file.
His victims have been left haunted by their ordeals three years on.
Zaman has no previous convictions and blamed his actions on the death of his grandfather.
Brendan O’Leary, defending, said: “His father has suffered a significant mental illness and is clearly unwell and that is due to the pressure of his son’s position.
“My client has to bear that responsibility and he does so in the knowledge that not only are there victims of his crimes, but there are also indirect victims too.
“He was a well-adjusted young man, but the loss of his grandfather just prior to these offences was perhaps the trigger for the change in his behaviour.
“This is not a young man who has been a tearaway for all his life.”
Judge Bernadette Baxter told Zaman: “You showed no regard for your victims or for the rule of law.
“You did what you wanted when you wanted without thought of the consequences.
“Only now – when faced with losing your liberty – are you concerned about the consequences.”
Manchester Evening News reported that Zaman was jailed for seven-and-a-half years. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ register for seven years.
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