An asylum seeker who arrived in Britain illegally by small boat launched a sustained attempted rape on a woman in Hereford — then returned to attack her again after initially walking away.

Mehmet Bulut, 31, has now been jailed for six years, with a further three years on extended licence, after Judge Simon Drew KC classified him as a dangerous offender.

Worcester Crown Court heard Bulut followed the woman near a subway before attacking her at around 4am on August 2. CCTV recorded the ordeal.

According to the prosecution, he removed some of her clothing while trying to rape her. He then walked away before returning and renewing the assault.

As the woman told him to leave her alone, Bulut responded: “Just sex, just sex.”

Judge Drew described the footage as shocking and the attack on the older woman as terrifying.

Prosecutor Simon Phillips told the court Bulut had reached the UK on Boxing Day 2022. Immigration authorities later withdrew his asylum application because of non-compliance, and he became an absconder.

Police arrested him later on the day of the attack after receiving information that he was working at Grillology, a restaurant.

Bulut, described in court as Turkish-Kurdish and of no fixed address, told officers he had been extremely drunk and was shocked by what the CCTV showed. When questioned about whether he had tried to rape the woman, he repeatedly claimed he did not know.

The court heard he had been drinking from a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and believed drunkenness could justify the attempted rape.

His own defence barrister, Dean Easthope, said it made matters worse.

The court’s finding were clear: Bulut was a dangerous offender whose attack had terrified his victim.

He pleaded guilty to attempted rape and was sentenced on October 8.

Judge Drew said he understood Bulut would be deported because of his immigration position

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