An asylum seeker who was allegedly part of a gang that raped a lone drunk female on a beach spent part of the evening chatting up another woman, a court heard.
Egyptian-born Ibrahim Alshafe, 25, exchanged messages with the unknown blonde woman on Google Translate at the Horizon nightclub in Brighton on October 4 last year.
Just 90 minutes later at around 6am he allegedly helped target a ‘visibly intoxicated’ female as she was leaving the club.
She was led down a ramp onto the beach at Brighton and allegedly raped by Alshafe and two other asylum seekers – Iranian Abdulla Ahmadi, 26, and Karin Al-Danasurt, 20, from Egypt.
All three men are charged with rape while Al-Danasurt – who allegedly filmed the attack and egged them on – is additionally charged with sharing intimate videos of the attack.
The court heard Alshafe and Ahmadi had arrived in the the UK by small boats in June 2025 while Al-Danasurt had arrived by the same method in September 2024.
They were all staying at a Home Office-approved hotel for those either seeking or appealing their asylum and immigration status.
The jury of seven women and five men were told the three asylum seekers had been partying at Horizon on the seafront during the evening in question.
Asylum seeker Ibrahim Alshafe pictured at Brighton Magistrates’ Court. He allegedly raped a lone drunk female on a beach after spending part of the evening chatting up another woman
Karin Al-Danasurt pictured outside court. He allegedly filmed the attack and egged them on and is additionally charged with sharing intimate videos of the attack
They spent the night dancing with several woman before Alshafe was captured on CCTV speaking to an unknown blonde female.
As she could not speak Arabic and he could not speak English, the pair communicated via the Google Translate app.
In a series of texts she asked him where he was from and told him he was welcome in the UK but questioned his motive for coming to the country.
She asked him what his ‘goal’ was for the future and how he saw his life panning out in Britain.
Reading from the message, Hanna Llewellyn-Water, prosecuting, said the woman asked: ‘Is your only goal here to marry a British woman?’
He replied: ‘I am in this country. I will build my future, meet a woman, get married, have children have and become a citizen.’
She told him she is not looking to get married and that she would like to be his friend.
Alshafe allegedly replied he wants to be her friend as well and wanted to dance with her.
The court heard she replied: ‘I don’t believe you just want to be friends because you are touching my breasts.’
He told her to dance with him so they can warm up and she questioned what he meant by ‘warm up’.
Alshafe exchanged messages with the unknown blonde woman on Google Translate at the Horizon nightclub in Brighton, pictured, on October 4 last year
Just 90 minutes later at around 6am he allegedly helped target a ‘visibly intoxicated’ female as she was leaving the club before raping her with two others on the beach, pictured
The reveller told him she was bisexual and was in love with another woman.
She claimed she liked him and told him he was ‘good looking’ but said she only wanted to be friends with him.
Alshafe then told the woman: ‘I love you. I want to give you a kiss and you don’t want to. I want to spend a happy night with you.’
She then said: ‘I’m going to leave. It’s been really nice. Please don’t judge me for the way I am.’
Earlier on in the evening in question, Alshafe allegedly told the blonde woman: ‘I love you. I want to give you a kiss and you don’t want to. I want to spend a happy night with you.’
Hove Crown Court heard the three asylum seekers then targeted the lone drunk woman in a ‘cynical, predatory and callous’ attack.
After the Horizon nightclub closed at 5am the three asylum seekers left the club and CCTV played to the jury allegedly showed them on the street outside the club.
A ‘visibly intoxicated’ woman, in her 30s, also left the club and went to a nearby Burger King before she was allegedly seen staggering along the seafront by the three men.
The court heard they got into conversation with her but instead of offering to help they allegedly led her down to the pebble beach.
They found a secluded spot behind the Beach Patrol hut and there they are alleged to have gang raped her while the incident was filmed by Al-Danasurt.
The three men deny all the charges.
Earlier the court heard Ahmadi disappeared from the Home Office run hotel in Sussex the day after the alleged gang rape.
Hanna Llwellyn-Waters, prosecuting, said Ahmadi left the hotel on October 5 in an ‘unapproved move’.
She said: ‘He was marked as absconding after self departing.’
Attempts made by asylum accommodation teams failed and he did not return to the hotel. He was arrested on October 12 in Crewe.
