24 Sep 2024
Ilborjan Fezullau admitted the charges at Teesside Crown Court
A man has been told custody is ‘overwhelmingly likely’ after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting two women..
Ilborjan Fezullau, 34 appeared at Teesside Crown Court via videolink from HMP Durham on Tuesday morning accused of sexually assaulting two women. The offences took place on August 8 and August 24, in Middlesbrough.
When entering plea to the first offence, Mr Fezullau told the court: “I am guilty, but I wasn’t feeling very clear headed.” He also admitted the second offence.
Judge Jonathan Carroll ordered for a pre-sentence report to be prepared to assess the defendant’s risk to the community.
He told the defendant: “You have pleaded guilty to these two counts you’ll be sentenced on the 30th of October this year. Between now and then a pre-sentence report will be prepared about you to assess what risk you represent to the public. You should understand a custodial sentence is overwhelmingly likely.”
The defendant, of no fixed abode, was remanded in custody until the sentencing hearing next month.
Ilborjan Fezullau, 34, came to the UK after alleged ‘death threats were made on his life’ in his native Albania
Ilborjan Fezullau, 35, an Albanian asylum seeker forced his way into two women’s homes after knocking and asking to charge his phone. He was jailed for 30 months in August last year. The court heard he had previously served 12 years in prison in his native country for gang violence.
https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/man-34-told-custody-overwhelmingly-29995507
31 Oct 2024
Ilborjan Fezullau was sleeping rough after arriving in the UK in July, when he turned up outside the women’s Teesside houses and asked if he could charge his phone. The 34-year-old barged his way into his first victim’s flat and began kissing her on her neck before ‘rubbing her bottom’.
Fezullau giggled and asked her for a massage. He ‘tapped’ the second woman’s bottom two or three times, before her husband chucked him out of their home.
On Wednesday, Fezullau appeared at Teesside Crown Court on video link from HMP Durham. He listened as an Albanian translator relayed the case against him.
Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, said that Fezullau turned up on the residential street and when a woman opened her front door to collect a takeaway order, Fezullau asked her if he could come in and charge his phone. “He was persistent and shouting at her,” Mr Newcombe said, “to mollify him she promised to fetch her charger.”
Fezullau barged past the woman and put his arm around her. “He kissed her cheek and kissed her neck multiple times,” Mr Newcombe continued, “he rested his hand on her bottom, and she pushed him off”.
“She went to find her friend. He followed her, pulled her into a hug, kissed her neck and rubbed her bottom. He kissed her on her lips and grabbed her breasts.”
The woman told Fezullau to leave. He did and she later told police that the whole incident had lasted 30 minutes. The victim says she now places a step ladder against her front door handle when she goes to bed to protect herself.
Second attack
In a second attack, Fezullau turned up outside another Teesside home and was allowed inside to charge his phone. He spoke to his second victim through Google translate, telling her that he was “new to the country, he was cold and sleeping rough.”
He tapped the woman’s bottom two or three times and she went upstairs to get her husband. Fezullau was thrown out and later identified from CCTV footage by Cleveland Police.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and told his probation officer that he had served a 12-year prison term in Albania, for being present at a stabbing between rival gangs. In mitigation, Kelleigh Lodge told the court that her client had come to the UK, after receiving death threats in his native Albania.
“He sought asylum but a decision has not yet been made,” Ms Lodge said, “he was living on the streets and he says he suffers from PTSD from a shooting he witnessed.” Judge Deborah Sherwin told Fezullau: “You told probation that you feared for your life in Albania.
“You had not been in this country long when you committed these offences. You repeatedly sexually assaulted your first victim.
“You tapped the second’s victim’s left buttock and she was scared.” “Yes, I touched her bottom, but that is it,” Fezullah said, “please help me, I’ve got anxiety.”
Fezullau, of no fixed address, was jailed for 30-months. He was told that he will serve half of the sentence.
https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/ilborjan-fezullau-sex-attack-teesside-30260824