Man sentenced to 14 years for rape in Nottinghamshire park

A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for the rape of an 18-year-old woman in a Nottinghamshire park last summer. Sheraz Malik was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday, June 11, receiving a 10-year custodial term with an additional four years on extended license.

The attack occurred on the evening of June 29, 2025, at Sutton Lawn Park in Sutton-in-Ashfield. The court heard that the victim, who was intoxicated, had been at the park with a male friend. When that friend left briefly, he asked Malik and a group of older men present to look after her. Instead, one of the men led her to a secluded area and raped her. Malik then took her to another isolated spot and raped her a second time.

During the assault, Malik struck the victim in the face and head when she tried to resist and repeatedly called her a derogatory term. Prosecutors stated that after the attack, Malik asked the victim, "Did you enjoy that?" The victim later sent a text message to her friend pleading for help.

Malik, a Pakistani national, was identified following the arrest of an initial suspect and was traced to an address in Newcastle, where he was arrested on July 18. He gave no...