Orhan Kibar jailed for 13 years for double rape in Belfast flat

A 43-year-old man has been jailed for 13 years for raping two teenagers in his south Belfast apartment.

Orhan Kibar, from Turkey, sexually assaulted the two female friends in his Russell Court flat on Claremont Street in the early hours of 24 November 2017.

Kibar, who has been living in Northern Ireland since 2005, was found guilty after a two-week trial earlier this year.

The judge said Kibar's actions were "shocking and alarming".

He said: "You persuaded two vulnerable, young women to come to your flat with the clear intention of having intercourse with them regardless of whether they wished to consent or not.

"You did not hesitate to use violence to get your way.

"After raping and falsely imprisoning the first woman, almost immediately you had intercourse with the second woman without her consent.

"It is only through their resourcefulness and courage that your have been brought to justice."

The judge said he had "no hesitation" in handing down the lengthy sentence because of the risk of re-offending posed by Kibar.

Kibar, who was dressed in a grey tracksuit, stood in the dock with his hands clasped flanked by two prison guards.

He showed no emotion as the lengthy sentence was handed down.

Speaking outside the court, Det Sgt Graeme McArthur welcomed the sentencing and praised the "significant courage" of both complainants.

"I hope this will encourage other victims to report offences to police and be assured that we will treat you with the utmost professionalism and sensitivity," he said.

During the trial, the jury was shown CCTV evidence which showed Kibar meeting the women, who were 18 and 19 at the time, outside the Queen's University students union.

Footage also showed him entering his block of flats with the women a short time later.

Once inside the flat, the 19-year-old woman fell asleep while the younger teenager was offered a cigarette.

When the 18-year-old went to the bathroom, Kibar followed and raped her.

The teenager told police she bit him and was finally able to flee from the bathroom and escape.

As she fled in a distressed state, she did not see her friend who was still sleeping, and left the flat without her phone or her coat.

She ran onto the street and by chance bumped into someone she knew.

The woman described what had just happened and the police were called immediately.

Meanwhile, inside the flat her friend was woken from her sleep, and she was being assaulted.

She told Kibar she needed to go to the toilet, and after a few minutes he let her go to the bathroom.

As she stepped out, a naked Kibar pushed her back into the bathroom and, during a struggle, he broke one of her fingers.

He then held her down and raped her a second time, before she too managed to escape.

As she was fleeing the apartment, she encountered police officers who had been alerted by her friend in the corridor of the block of flats.

She was able to point them to Kibar's flat, and he was arrested.

During his evidence at the trial, Kibar claimed that he had consensual sex with both women separately.

But his version was rejected and the jury of five men and seven women reached unanimous guilty verdicts on three counts of rape and a charge of false imprisonment.