Dilgash Adil and Diyar Mohammed Abdulsalm have each been sentenced to 11 years in prison after a jury found them guilty of raping an 18-year-old woman they met in a Winsford nightclub, with a judge telling the pair they had deliberately targeted her vulnerability.
Two men have been jailed for 11 years each after being convicted of raping an 18-year-old woman they met at a nightclub in Winsford, Cheshire. Dilgash Adil, 32, plied the victim with drinks until she became severely intoxicated before taking her back to his shared accommodation, where he assaulted her and invited his friend, Diyar Mohammed Abdulsalm, 28, to also rape her. Both men were convicted following a trial at Chester Crown Court and have been ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.
What happened on the night
The court heard that Adil had been visiting Abdulsalm at their shared house of multiple occupancy on Ledward Street in Winsford on 21 December when the pair decided to drive to a nightclub. At around 12.30am, they met the victim, who had been out with friends. Adil bought her further drinks, and she became “noticeably” more intoxicated over the course of the evening, with the court told her eyes had become glazed.
At the end of the night, the two men offered the woman and a male friend a lift home, which they both accepted. However, when the friend got out of the car, Adil and Abdulsalm drove off with the woman still inside, the passenger door left open. Cheshire Police were called at approximately 4.55am on 21 December 2025 after concerns were raised for the woman’s welfare, and she was later found near The Drumber in Winsford. Following the attack, she rang her mother, “extremely upset,” saying she did not know what had happened to her.
Convictions and sentencing
Abdulsalm was convicted of two counts of rape, while Adil was convicted of one count, with both receiving 11-year prison sentences. Sentencing the pair, Judge Simon Berkson, addressing the defendants through a Kurdish interpreter, said: “It is quite clear you both took advantage of her vulnerable state. She was frankly in no fit state to consent to anything, in and out of consciousness. She was targeted, in my judgment, due to her vulnerability in that nightclub.”
The court heard that Adil was granted refugee status after arriving in the UK from Syria in 2020, having previously worked as a shepherd. Abdulsalm claimed asylum in the UK in May 2023, and his immigration status remained under assessment at the time the offences were committed. Both men are Syrian nationals.
Police investigation
Both suspects were arrested on the same day the attack was reported, and were subsequently charged and remanded in custody ahead of their trial. Cheshire Police said officers acted quickly to safeguard the victim before launching the investigation that ultimately led to the convictions.
Detective Chief Inspector Ian Murray of Cheshire Police said: “Abdulsalm and Adil targeted a young woman who could not consent due to intoxication. Officers quickly ensured the victim was safeguarded and arrested the pair in connection with the offences. Despite their denials, the jury found them guilty and they have now been jailed for their crimes. Although the victim will never be able to forget what happened, I hope these sentences provide her with some closure, knowing that these men are behind bars and justice has been served. Anyone wishing to report a sexual offence can contact Cheshire Police on 101, or by visiting the Cheshire Police website.”
Impact on the victim
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman said she no longer feels safe, suffers from panic attacks, struggles to sleep and feels anxious around strangers as a result of the attack.
