A man standing trial for the alleged exploitation and rape of a 16-year-old runaway girl has told a court he believes the accusations are a deliberate 'setup'. Arqash Zaffar, 41, accepted meeting the female in Birmingham but vehemently denied the serious sexual offences he is charged with.
Defendant's Account of Events
Giving evidence at Birmingham Crown Court, Zaffar, who also goes by the name 'Mikey', stated that he first encountered the girl on Alum Rock Road, Birmingham, on July 20, 2019. He claimed the girl told him she was 20 years old and that he did not volunteer his own age because she did not ask.
Zaffar admitted driving the girl to Manchester later that night with his co-defendants, Shahban Arif and Shiraz Nassar. He described visiting Nassar's apartment, where everyone was 'relaxed' and 'having a laugh'. He strongly denied an allegation that he and Nassar raped the girl in a bedroom there, labelling it a 'disgusting accusation'.
'No I don't do that. It's not a normal thing to do,' Zaffar told the court when asked if he had sex in front of others. 'Call me old-fashioned but I think that's private when a man and woman are intimate. I'm quite traditional in that sense.'
The Hotel Room and Allegations
The court heard that after returning from Manchester, a room was booked at the Metro Inns hotel in Walsall. Zaffar claimed he arranged this because the girl was homeless and he felt sorry for her. He stated that after driving Arif home, he returned to the hotel and got into bed with the girl.
Zaffar confirmed that oral sex took place but said the girl had told him she was on her period. He denied any rape occurred. The following day, after moving to a second room due to a stain on the bed, they spent time together and visited a restaurant with acquaintances.
Zaffar told the court he dropped the girl near the Bullring in Birmingham the next morning because she said she had a probation appointment. He stated they hugged goodbye and he never saw or spoke to her again, despite attempting to call her days later.
Trial Continues as Defendants Plead Not Guilty
Arqash Zaffar, from Walsall, was arrested in October 2020. He denies five counts of rape, four counts of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent, and one count of arranging/facilitating travel for exploitation.
His co-defendants have also entered not guilty pleas. Shiraz Nassar, 40, from Denton, Manchester, denies one count of rape. Shahban Arif, 42, from Walsall, denies a single exploitation charge. Mohammed Nadim, 44, from Walsall, denies one offence of sexual assault. The trial continues.
