A care home manager who sexually abused young female employees before fleeing to India, from where he was subsequently extradited, has been sentenced to nearly eight years behind bars.
Naijil Paul, 47, was scheduled to face trial in 2019 on sex offence charges, but instead boarded a flight to India where he remained for six years. Following his extradition back to the UK, he admitted guilt to one count of rape and two counts of sexual assault at Glasgow’s High Court in October.
He received an extended sentence totalling seven years and nine months imprisonment, followed by two years of supervision after release, when the case was heard at the court on Monday.
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While Paul entered guilty pleas, the court was told he persisted in blaming his victims, who were considerably younger than him when the offences occurred in 2018.
He appeared via video link from custody for Monday’s sentencing hearing.
Judge Lord Renucci described the crimes as “premeditated” and stated that Paul “posed a risk to young and vulnerable women”, the court was informed.
Although a criminal justice social work report assessed Paul as presenting a “medium risk”, Lord Renucci expressed concern about the report’s findings, noting that Paul “does not accept full responsibility”.
He stated: “In relation to charge two, he seems to suggest he was doing the complainer a favour… he seeks to minimise. There has been a degree of victim blaming.
“Because of Mr Paul’s attitude and the degree of victim blaming… I am, in the circumstances, persuaded that a degree of post-release supervision is required.”
The judge noted that despite entering a guilty plea to rape, it “seems to be his position that what he calls sexual interaction was consensual”, the court was told.
Lord Rennucci declared: “Be in no doubt it was rape. You appear to accept little responsibility. You failed to turn up to trial in 2019 and fled to India.”
He revealed the first victim endured abuse spanning five months and that all victims were “significantly younger”.
The judge emphasised his primary concern was “potential harm to the public”, noting that it “seems he is a danger to young, vulnerable females”.
He informed Paul: “Anything that could be said in your favour is weighed out by the gravity of offending.”
Paul was placed on the sex offenders register for life and issued with a non-harassment order prohibiting contact with all three women.
In mitigation, Edith Forrest KC stated: “The author of the criminal justice social work report recognises he is a risk of future offending.”