Mubarek Ali: Telford child sex predator can apply for early release, lawyer explains
The sentence given to Telford child sex gang leader Mubarek Ali means he can apply for release after serving two thirds of his jail term, says a solicitor.
Sam Trefgarne, a criminal barrister for law firm 23 Essex Street, has written a letter explaining more about the sentence handed to the sex offender.
Ali was established as one of two leaders of a sexual grooming gang that preyed on girls as young as 13 in Telford.
He was given a sentence of 22 years, 14 years’ immediate custody and eight years on licence, for seven offences – four of controlling child prostitution, causing child prostitution and two offences of trafficking in the UK for the purpose of prostitution, involving two of the victims.
He was also made the subject of lifelong Sexual Offences Prevention Orders.
Captured as part of Operation Chalice and jailed back in 2013, he has been told he will be released on licence as early as November.
Mr Trefgarne said that Ali was jailed for the 14 years and the extended licence period does not make up part of the custodial term, and therefore shouldn’t be added to it.
He said: “As this was an extended sentence there are different rules relating to prisoners’ release. They are not released automatically at the half way point as they are with other sentences.
“Mr Ali can apply for release after serving two thirds of 14 years, 9.3 years, minus any time spent on qualifying curfew.
“He will only be released if the parole board determine that his risk can safely be managed in the community. If the parole board determine that his risk cannot be managed then he will serve all of his custodial sentence; 14 years.”
“If he is released at the two thirds point, or at the 14-year point, he would then be subject to licence conditions. In addition to his SOPO. If he breached those licence conditions, only then would be he be liable to recall on licence, up to a maximum of 22 years.
More than 2,000 people have voted in a Shropshire Star poll as to whether the early release should be reviewed, with the majority agreeing it should be looked at again.
After West Mercia Police’s investigation into suspected under-age sex and child prostitution, seven men were finally convicted following the Operation Chalice investigation at Worcester Crown Court in 2013.
