A college student has been locked up for the attempted rape and sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl after he was found guilty by a Bradford Crown Court jury.

Imran Hussain, 18, whom the court was told has learning difficulties, was found guilty by majority verdicts of 10-2 on both charges late yesterday.

Sentencing Hussain to 18 months detention in a young offender institution for attempted rape, with a further three month sentence, to run concurrently, for sexual assault, the trial judge, Mr Justice Keith, said: “Rape is a very serious offence.

“In my opinion, you are a very immature boy who has little or no experience of the world and quite a degree of vulnerability. You have never had a chance to explore your own sexuality and suffer from acute learning difficulties.

“However, women must be protected, even from someone of your age, immaturity, vulnerability, and problems with learning difficulties.”

The Judge also told Hussain, of Jasmine Terrace, Listerhills, Bradford, that he must serve at least half of the sentence, and will be put on the Sexual Offenders’ Register for ten years.

During the trial, the jury had been told that Hussain attacked the girl on the afternoon of June 11, in a subway on Wakefield Road, at the junction with Prospect Street and Bowling Back Lane. He followed his victim before grabbing her by the hair, kicking her in the stomach, and then pulling down his trousers and demanding that she perform a sex act on him.

The girl thought she was going to be raped and shouted for help, the court was told.

Hussain was disturbed by a mother on her way to collect a pupil from Bowling Park School at which point the girl ran towards the school and Hussain left the scene in another direction.

Prosecutor Jayne Beckett, reading from the victim’s personal statement, said the girl had suffered various problems as a result of the attack, including being left shaken and scared, unable to sleep, unwilling to go out alone and frightened of subways and dark places.

In mitigation ahead of sentence, Tina Landale, Hussain’s barrister, told the court that Hussain’s actions were “not a planned attack”, and said he was “sexually immature with very little health knowledge of puberty and sexual health”.

She also told the judge that Hussain had already spent 140 days under curfew via an electronic tag in relation to the offence.

On account of his learning difficulties, Hussain had a professional helper with him throughout the trial.