A court heard the woman said she needed ‘to say something because he might do it to someone else’
Qudus Ajeyemi, pictured outside Hull Crown Court(Image: Hull Live)
A callous sexual predator tried to rape a woman after she had been out drinking in Hull city centre – and he later confessed during a video call that what he had done was completely “wrong”. He and the unsuspecting woman were among others who went back to a house after the night out but he later intimately touched her after taking advantage of her drink-affected state.
She had gone upstairs to sleep following the night out. She tried to push him away and told him “I’m not here for that” but he did not stop and continued anyway, Hull Crown Court heard.
Qudus Ajeyemi, 27, formerly of May Street, off Beverley Road, Hull, but recently living in Manchester, denied attempting to rape the woman but he was convicted by a jury on a majority verdict of 10 to two after eight hours and 36 minutes of deliberations. He was convicted unanimously of sexual assault.
Charlotte Baines, prosecuting, told the trial that Ajeyemi – nicknamed Spartan – and others were invited to a “party” night out in Hull, including at a club.
Afterwards, Ajeyemi and the woman went back to a house. She had met him only once before. She not realised how much she had drunk and she was sick in the bathroom.
She went and sat on a sofa downstairs and Ajeyemi asked her if she wanted to go upstairs and have a nap. “Spartan led her upstairs and she lay down on the bed,” said Miss Baines.
“She thought that he would leave her there to have a sleep. Within a few seconds, Spartan was touching her arm and going down to her thigh.
“She pushed him off and told him: ‘I’m not here for that’. Her response did not deter Spartan and he touched her again. He went up her dress and forcefully pulled her knickers off.”
The woman told him: “Stop. Don’t touch me.” She could see that Ajeyemi had taken his trousers and boxer shorts down.
“He grabbed her thighs, holding her down,” said Miss Baines. The woman grabbed him to try to stop him but he pushed her off the bed. She grabbed her underwear and ran down the stairs.
“She sat down on the sofa in the sitting room and started to cry,” said Miss Baines. “Some of Spartan’s friends asked her what was wrong.
“Spartan himself then came into the room and asked her what was wrong – knowing what he had done.” The woman was taken home and she later told a friend what had happened.
She asked the man for Ajeyemi’s telephone number. “She asked him to FaceTime her,” said Miss Baines. During the call, Ajeyemi began by apologising.
She challenged him about his behaviour and “called him out on it” and he told her: “I admit everything that happened. Everything. I admit it. I am wrong. I did something that was very wrong.”
He was acknowledging the sexual assault and attempted rape against her. “He sent text messages apologising and asking for forgiveness,” said Miss Baines.
The woman did not report the matters straight away. She did not want to jeopardise Ajeyemi’s education because he was on a visa as an international student.
“She later decided to report what had happened,” said Miss Baines. The woman thought: “I think I need to say something because he might do it to someone else.”
A police investigation started and Ajeyemi was interviewed in December 2023. He claimed that he and the woman went upstairs because she was tired and that they kissed and cuddled on the bed.
“He said that when he asked if they could take it to the next level, she said ‘No’ and he respected that,” said Miss Baines. He denied trying to rape her. The woman had not lied or made a false allegation, said Miss Baines.
“The evidence is compelling and reliable,” she added.
Defence barrister Rachel Scott said that there was little that could be put forward in mitigation after the guilty verdicts because Ajeyemi had fought and lost a trial. He realised that a prison sentence was inevitable.
Ajeyemi was from Nigeria and he came to this country to better his education but, because of now being jailed, he could later face being deported. He had no previous convictions and he had previously had a fixed address in Manchester.
Ajeyemi had been on bail during the trial but he was remanded in custody after the verdicts to await sentence. He was jailed for five-and-a-half years and he must register as a sex offender indefinitely. He was given a seven-year restraining order.
Did you know you can make Hull Live a preferred source of Hull news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here.