Cafe owner says allegation he raped teenager in alleyway is mind-boggling, court hears

A cafe owner has told a jury an allegation he raped a teenage girl in alleyway was "mind-boggling".

Mohamed Usman Arshad, of Clifton Grove, Rhyl in Denbighshire, is one of four men facing charges of child sexual exploitation and trafficking.

The 36-year-old denies three charges of rape, conspiracy to traffic and forced labour, and supplying cannabis to two girls aged 14 and 15.

Arshad was giving evidence for the first time, as the defence cases in the trial began.

The jury was told the main defendant in the trial, Mustafa Iqbal, would not be called to give evidence.

Iqbal faces four rape charges and sexual assault allegations, along with trafficking and exploitation claims, and drug offences involving both girls, and a third girl who was 16 at the time.

Arshad told the jury he had become friends with Iqbal while working at a takeaway restaurant in the town.

He said Iqbal later worked for him for a time, helping at Zayn's Coffee House - the cafe Arshad ran - and at a neighbouring fish and chip shop.

He told the court he had been late-night shopping at a wholesale outlet with another defendant Ziaullah Badshah in March 2022, when he was invited over to Iqbal's home.

"We arrived there and there were two girls with Mr Iqbal," said Arshad.

"They were playing music and stuff, playing music and chilling."

He said he briefly chatted with one of the girls, known as Child B, and she started playing a game of spin the bottle, leading to her being kissed by Badshah.

He told the jury the girl had told him she was 17 and he only found out she was 15 when allegations of sexual abuse came to light.

The jury heard the girl came to his cafe in the following days and asked for a job.

Asked directly by his defence barrister if he had engaged in oral sex with the girl behind the cafe, Arshad rejected the claim.

He said the whole area was covered in CCTV cameras and he would have had to take the girl through the cafe past at least two members of staff.

"I don't understand how that is logical," he said.

"My mother and father are next door. It's mind-boggling to me.

"My wife comes to the shop.

"I'm going to risk everything?"

The trial continues.