Snobs nightclub has been heavily criticised by a judge after ejecting a 'drunk' student who was then abducted and horrifically raped in a transit van.
The popular city centre venue is facing a licence review after security staff kicked out the 19-year-old after she collapsed inside.
Separated from friends, she was lured into a van and driven to an industrial estate where she was raped and sexually assaulted.
Rapist Zaheer Abbas, 30, was jailed for 11 years while taxi marshal Sajad Hussain, 35, was jailed for six years for sexual assault.
After sentencing the pair, Judge Mary Stacy accused popular Snobs of “abandoning” the victim on the street allowing her attackers to prey on her.
She said: “Something needs to be said about Snobs nightclub.
“We have heard how the establishment carries on serving drinks to students who have had far more than enough to drink.
“Then they fail to take responsibility for the students, they removed (her) after she collapsed inside.
“Snobs abandoned her on the street where she was prey to the likes of Abbas and Hussain.
“The security officer is not personally to blame, it was a failure of Snobs itself to fail to put procedures in place, for example by arranging taxis to take them (students) home.
“The disregard for customers allowed for the circumstances for this crime to occur.”
The judge said the case called into question the club’s fitness to hold a licence and referred the venue to licensing chiefs at Birmingham City Council.
She also vowed to contact colleges and universities warning them of Snobs’ cheap drinks promotions targeting “young and vulnerable” students
She added; “This was a deeply distressing case. The distress on the face of the jurors was all too evident and understandable.”
Abbas was convicted by a jury last December while Hussain was convicted last month.
Both trials saw chilling CCTV of the pair outside the club during the early hours of February 20 last year.
After the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was ejected by Snobs’ security staff at around 3.30am, Abbas and Hussain, along with others, were seen leading her to Abbas’ transit van.
She was then driven to an industrial estate in the Nechells area of the city where she was raped by Abbas and sexually assaulted by Hussain.
The horrific ordeal lasted more than an hour before the twisted pair dropped the victim back at her student accommodation.
The court heard the student, who had been a virgin, had since dropped out of her course at the University of Birmingham .
Judge Stacey said: “What you both did to her had devastating consequences.
“After achieving her goal of getting into a top university because of your actions she dropped out.
“She no longer goes out on her own and feels wary and fearful.
“She was clearly abducted, she had to be held up and was unable to walk unaided.
“She was totally incapable.
“Abbas, you took her virginity from her which can never be reclaimed, you took her innocence and ruined her time in Birmingham.
“Both of you have shown no remorse and have cynically attempted to portray her as a sexual predator when the exact opposite was true.”
Abbas, of St Aidan’s Walk, Small Heath, and Hussain, of Azalea Grove, Bordesley Green,denied the sex attacks but were both convicted by separate juries.
The judge praised their victim who endured two trials saying; “I pay tribute to her strength and courage coming forward.
“Her bravery and dignity impressed everyone at court.
“Her actions resulted in you both being brought to justice.”
Hussain, who was working as a taxi marshal on the night, still denied doing anything wrong, despite damning DNA evidence being found on the victim’s clothing.
Jabeen Akhtar, defending, said; “He doesn’t accept anything that happened.
“He is remorseful because he feels he should have distanced himself more and should have got out of the van.
“He realises this incident would have an impact on (the victim) and he is sorry for that.
“He hopes she can get on with her life and put this behind her.”
The court was told since the incident Hussain had ceased working as a taxi marshall, but had found work with a cancer charity.
But Judge Stacey said she did not accept either man had any remorse for what had happened.
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