Gorsedd Gardens sexual assault victim became conscious during attack

A woman who was sexually assaulted during Freshers’ Week has told the court that she was “slouched up against a tree” when the attack happened. 

Khalid Alahmadi, 23, was in court today accused of sexually assaulting a women in Gorsedd Gardens near City Hall in the early hours of September 24th 2015. Alahmadi denies these claims.

In a video interview shown to a jury Newport Crown Court today, the woman had told the police: “I remember just suddenly feeling conscious and being pressed up against the tree. Before that I didn’t really know what was going on at all. I was pretty slouched because I wasn’t able to hold myself up.I was facing away from the tree. My back was against the tree. I was standing, just about. I didn’t know where I was for a second or two. The boy was stood against me.”

The attack happened in Gorsedd Gardens

After realising what was happening, the woman ran away down past the museum to a friends house, having to pull her trousers after falling on the pavement.

The woman had been on a night out to Tiger Tiger with a friend. She told the court that she had a vague recollection of the evening, and could remember talking to a man in the club, who she claims to be the same man who allegedly sexually assaulted her. She told the court that she remembered the man asking her and her friend to guess where he came from because of his accent, to which they guess Poland.

The student told the court that she wasn’t sure if sex had taken place, adding: “I can’t say if it (sex) actually happened or was just about to happen.”

The attack was one of three sexual assaults that happened in the space of five days during Freshers’ Week 2015.