An illegal immigrant attempted to kidnap a schoolgirl off the street before heroic bystanders intervened.
Abdulmawal Ibrahim Adam, 27, from Sudan, tried to snatch the terrified 17-year-old girl at around 9.30pm as she walked home from work in Swindon.
CCTV showed Adam drag the girl across a road ‘against her will’ after he approached her at a set of traffic lights from behind.
However, members of the public waiting at a bus stop witnessed the attack and were able to intervene to stop the teenage girl from being taken.
After running off, he then tried to follow another woman before she managed to get away.
He then followed a third woman who witnessed the attempted kidnap, as members of the public again intervened.
Adam eventually ran off after witnesses pursued him while filming him.
The schoolgirl’s mother reported the incident the same evening and Adam was arrested and charged with attempted kidnap.
Abdulmawal Ibrahim Adam, 27, from Sudan, tried to snatch the terrified 17-year-old girl at around 9.30pm as she walked home from work in Swindon
CCTV showed Adam drag the girl across a road ‘against her will’ after he approached her at a set of traffic lights from behind
However, members of the public waiting at a bus stop witnessed the attack and were able to intervene to stop the teenage girl from being taken
Adam pleaded guilty yesterday after having previously refused to engage with the police.
DC Anna McCormack of the town’s CID said: ‘This was a terrifying incident for the victim and I would like to pay tribute to her for the strength she has shown throughout the process.
‘I’d also like to thank the various members of the public who assisted the victim at the time of the incident who potentially ensured that the incident wasn’t much worse than it was.’
Adam, from Darfur, arrived in the UK illegally in September 2023, according to the Sun.
A month later, he pleaded guilty to arriving in the country ‘without valid entry clearance’ at Canterbury Crown Court and he was sentenced to seven months.
It is not known if he is attempting to seek asylum or if any conditions were attached to his release. The Daily Mail has approached the Home Office for clarification.
Yesterday, Swindon Crown Court heard that Adam repeatedly refused to engage throughout his latest case, leading to lengthy delays and at least eight separate hearings.
He refused to leave his cell at HM Prison Bullingdon to attend court proceedings, with one judge saying he was ‘manipulating the system’.
Adam attempted to kidnap the schoolgirl off the street before heroic bystanders intervened
After running off, he then tried to follow another woman before she managed to get away. He then followed a third woman who witnessed the attempted kidnap, as members of the public again intervened
Judge James Townsend told Adam that he was ordering a pre-sentence report to ‘assess the background to his offending’ before his sentence on December 12.
Dale Sheehan, Senior Crown Prosecutor, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said yesterday: ‘Abdulmawal Ibrahim Adam preyed on a teenager while she was walking home, putting her through a distressing ordeal after he grabbed her from behind.
‘Members of the public stopped to assist the victim, pursued Adam and recorded footage of him. Their actions, alongside supporting evidence, were instrumental in securing the conviction.
‘Violence against women and girls will not be tolerated, and the Crown Prosecution Service is committed to ensuring those responsible for such crimes are brought to justice.’
A Home Office Spokesperson said: ‘When foreign nationals commit serious crimes in our country, we will always do everything in our power to deport them.
‘This government deported almost 5,200 foreign national offenders in its first year in office, a 14 per cent increase on the previous year.’
