Nadal Mehemed tricked a woman into trusting him before subjecting her to a horrific night of abuse

Beneath the flickering lights of Liverpool’s bustling city centre, a woman searching for help found herself ensnared by the darkest kind of deception. Her attacker, Nadal Mehemed, posed as a good Samaritan — a concerned stranger willing to guide her to safety. But behind his comforting mask lay a cold-blooded predator.

It was a night in June 2023 when the victim, disoriented and lost in Liverpool’s South John Street area, accepted Mehemed’s offer of assistance. He assured her he would help — yet instead of pointing her homeward, he lured her into his nearby flat, where he carried out an unspeakable series of violent sexual assaults.

What followed was a nightmare that forever changed the victim’s life. Mehemed’s chilling transformation from saviour to attacker unfolded within moments. Once inside the flat, he turned on her with vicious intent, silencing her pleas and crushing her spirit through prolonged and brutal attacks.

During the harrowing ordeal, the victim tried to fight back, her desperate resistance captured on nearby CCTV footage that later helped confirm Mehemed’s heinous actions. Those images, viewed in court, bore stark testimony to the violence and terror she endured — and to the predator’s utter disregard for her humanity.

The case came to a grim conclusion at Liverpool Crown Court, where Mehemed finally admitted to the rape and associated assaults. Judge Andrew Menary KC described the attack as a “grotesque breach of trust”, noting Mehemed’s calculated exploitation of a vulnerable woman’s need for help.

Sentencing him to ten years in prison, Judge Menary imposed a lifetime notification on the sex offenders’ register, ensuring Mehemed would never escape the shadow of his crimes. A restraining order was also issued to prevent any contact with the traumatised victim.

Prosecutor Joanne Moore detailed how Mehemed deliberately misled the woman, using calm words and apparent kindness to disarm her suspicions. Once inside the flat, he grew aggressive and domineering, shutting the door to her freedom before subjecting her to a relentless attack lasting hours.

The defence offered little by way of mitigation, with Mehemed’s legal team conceding the overwhelming weight of evidence and his ultimate guilty plea.

The victim’s powerful impact statement, read in court, described her profound trauma and the lingering psychological toll. “He stole my voice, my safety, and a part of who I was that night,” she wrote. “I trusted him — and he destroyed that trust in the worst possible way.”

Liverpool’s community has since rallied behind her. Local women’s groups and city leaders have urged others to remain vigilant while reaffirming their commitment to support survivors and condemn predators who prey on vulnerability.

Detective Sergeant Laura Munro of Merseyside Police called Mehemed’s actions “calculating and evil,” praising the victim’s courage and the role of CCTV in securing justice. “She fought hard — for her safety, for her dignity, and now, for others who might be saved by her bravery.”

In the aftermath of this appalling crime, conversations about public safety have intensified, with renewed calls for improved lighting, visible policing, and public education on recognising signs of coercion and manipulation.

Nadal Mehemed now sits behind bars, his double life as a supposed protector and violent predator exposed. But the victim’s voice, once threatened into silence, has risen — reminding the city that no disguise, however convincing, can hide the truth forever.