Small-boat asylum seeker sentenced to six years for attempted rape in Hereford

Mehmet Bulut arrived in Britain on a small boat on Boxing Day 2022 and later worked at a restaurant called Grillology. On the early morning of August 2, he stalked a woman near a Hereford subway, removed part of her clothing and attempted to rape her, an act recorded by CCTV. After initially leaving, he returned to continue the assault, prompting the victim to tell him to “f*** off,” to which he replied “just sex, just sex.”

Bulut later told police he was heavily drunk and expressed remorse, while his defence counsel described his comment about kissing the victim’s hands as a cultural expression. The court, noting his lack of prior convictions but deeming him a dangerous offender, sentenced him to six years in prison plus a three-year extended licence.