Brothers who waged campaign of rape face decades in prison

Three brothers who abused girls as young as six in a 14-year campaign of rape and sexual assault face decades in prison.

Shaha Amran Miah, 48, Shaha Alman Miah, 47, and Shaha Joman Miah, 38, were convicted after a lengthy trial at Preston Crown Court.

The abuse happened in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and Leeds, West Yorkshire, between 1996 and 2010.

Amran Miah sexually abused three children and faced charges for 16 sexual offences, two charges of intimidation and one of kidnap, while Joman Miah sexually abused three children and faced charges for 40 offences.

During the trial, the court heard that Alman Miah started a relationship with a 15-year-old girl. During their relationship, the girl was raped by his brother, Amran Miah, and was threatened by him after she spoke to the police.

Joman had also groomed and sexually assaulted a girl while he was working at Iesha's, a takeaway owned by his family, and allegedly said after one altercation that 'in his religion a girl could marry an adult male from the age of nine.'

The trial also heard one of the girls claimed Joman sexually assaulted her at least weekly at a mosque in Leeds, where he taught the Qur'an and she was his pupil. 

The girls abused by Amran Miah and Joman Miah were as young as six or seven when the abuse began, the court heard.

The middle brother, Alman Miah, faced three sexual offence charges against one girl.

Joman Miah started a relationship with a girl of 14 and groomed her by giving her gifts, alcohol and cigarettes.

Around the same time, Alman Miah started a relationship with a 15-year-old girl, who was raped by Amran Miah.

In late 2009, after speaking to police about the attack, the 15-year-old victim was grabbed off the street by her hair by a man and shoved in the back of a car, where Amran Miah was in the passenger seat, prosecutors said.

The man who grabbed her asked her what she had said to the police and told her 'she would be dead' if she had told them anything.

Amran Miah told her she did not know what he was capable of and that he would do anything to protect his family.

He also made threats to a woman who was due to be interviewed by the police in 2010 in relation to the brothers. Due to the threats, that interview never took place.

Derek Artis from the Crown Prosecution Service said the brothers 'groomed and exploited' the girls with 'no concern for them' or the impact it 'would have on them'.

He added: 'I would like to commend the women who have come forward and supported a prosecution in this case.

'I hope they can now begin to move forward knowing the men who abused and exploited them will face justice.'

Their trial heard Joman, who was known by the nickname 'Saj', groomed and sexually assaulted a girl while he was working at Iesha's, a takeaway owned by his family.

Jurors were told how Joman had a sexual relationship with a girl when she was aged 13 to 16 whilst he was in his early to mid-20s.

Prosecutor Tim Evans said Joman at one point moved in with her and her mother, who abused drugs and alcohol.

The jury heard he admitted to the sexual relationship but insisted he thought the girl was 16.

The court was told the girl was picked up from school each day by Joman, who would take her to Iesha's, where they would have sex, either on the sofa or in a bed.

Mr Evans said: 'A key part of the 'relationship' was that Saj / Joman was treating (her) to pretty much whatever she wanted: Buying her presents, topping up her phone as well as buying her friends food.

'He would also buy her cigarettes, beer and give her £40 in cash a month which she would tell her mum that it was her wages for working at the takeaway.'

Mr Evans said on one occasion Joman allegedly said after an altercation at the takeaway that 'in his religion a girl could marry an adult male from the age of nine.'

The court heard Joman allegedly took the girl to have sex in a hotel in Barrow called The Gables on eight separate occasions.

Mr Evans said Joman would cover his tracks and sneak her in after 10.30pm as there would be no one on reception.

The girl would 'lie to her mum' and say she was staying overnight at a friend's house, Mr Evans added.

The court was told a witness described the girl 'as being head over heels in love with Saj' while another said Joman lavished her with gifts and money.

Joman's older brother, Alman, known as 'Ali' also had sex with the same girl when she was 15, the court heard.

Another victim said Amran, known by the nickname 'Jai', raped her.

Mr Evans said the victim 'froze' when he pulled her shorts down and described how 'she was in shock - not believing what was happening to her'.

The court heard the victim spoke with Cumbria Police in 2009 about the incident.

Mr Evans told the court once Amran found out, he allegedly threatened to hurt her family if she spoke out again.

When she was bundled into the car, she was told by Amran: 'You better watch your mouth. You don't know who you are dealing with and there will be consequences.

'You have been warned, once you screw one (of us) over, you screw us all over.'

The court heard Joman and Amran indecently assaulted two other girls from the age of seven in Leeds.

The court heard one of the girls claimed Joman sexually assaulted her at least weekly at a mosque in Leeds, where he taught the Qur'an and she was his pupil.

She was aged seven to nine at the time, and Joman was 17 to 19, the court heard.

They will be sentenced on February 21, 2025.