Three asylum seekers sentenced for Brighton beach assault

Three men have been sentenced to decades in prison for the rape of a woman on Brighton beach in what a judge described as an "entirely predatory and callous" attack. The sentencing at Hove Crown Court on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, concluded a case that has drawn national attention and vows from ministers to deport the convicted assailants.

Egyptian national Ibrahim Alshafe, 26, and Iranian national Abdulla Ahmadi, 26, were each jailed for 21 years for the sexual assault. A third man, Egyptian national Karin AlDanasurt, 21, who filmed the attack, was sentenced to 18 years and six months. All three will serve an additional six years on extended licence and must serve two-thirds of their custodial sentences before being considered for parole.

The attack occurred in the early hours of October 4, 2025. The court heard the victim had been on a night out with friends when she became separated and was "staggering in the street" and "incapacitated." Alshafe and Ahmadi led her behind a beach hut where they raped her while AlDanasurt recorded the ordeal. The victim testified that during the attack she was spat on, kicked, and had her throat grabbed. Footage shown during the trial depicted...