A PERVERT who sexually assaulted two women in a dark underpass within 30 minutes of each other was jailed on Tuesday for five years.

Rahmat Karimi, 27, groped the 46 and 24-year-old victims in Glasgow's Cowcaddens on January 22, 2021.

Karimi pounced on the first woman after he called for help and she went to assist him.

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Karimi then put his hands down the second victim's jeans, strangled and kissed her half an hour later.

The pervert dropped an earphone before fleeing the scene which was later recovered and swabbed for DNA which pinned him to the crimes.

Karimi was convicted by a jury at Glasgow Sheriff Court to assaulting the two women with intent to rape.

Sheriff Joan Kerr said: "You subjected two women - strangers to you - to frightening violent and violating attacks.

"Your crimes were predatory and took place within 30 minutes of each other in a street in Glasgow."

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The sheriff also put Karimi - originally from Afghanistan - on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period of time.

The court heard the 24-year-old woman was walking home from work around 9pm when Karimi touched her bum at the underpass.

Karimi grabbed her by the arm and she was pushed to the floor.

He was unable to take off her jeans but put his hand inside them.

The woman stated in evidence: "He realised he couldn't do anything, he couldn't touch me so he lay on top of me and tried to kiss me."

She claimed the man "strangled" her by putting his two hands around her neck.

The woman claimed she "let" Karimi kiss her on the lips in order to push him away.

She stated that Karimi ran away when a woman arrived on the scene.

Prosecutor Mark Allan asked if the man left anything behind and she stated: "Yes, his earphones...Apple ones."

The woman stated that they were recovered by the police.

Forensic scientist Suzanne Farrer told jurors that she analysed the white earbud.

Mr Allan asked: "There was a mixed DNA profile obtained which contained the presence of DNA from Karimi, the woman and another person?"

Miss Farrer replied: "Yes."

The witness added that swabs from the woman's lips, underpants, jeans, jacket and gloves also contained traces of Karimi's DNA.

Jurors also heard from the 46-year-old woman was walking a distance behind her boyfriend at the underpass around 8.25pm.

She then came across Karimi who was lying on a slope.

The woman told jurors: "He was asking for help and I thought there was something wrong with him, he was maybe hurt.

"I went to see if I could help at all."

The woman claimed the man then gestured while exposing himself.

The woman called Karimi a pervert before catching up with her boyfriend.

Her partner then went searching for Karimi, leaving her alone.

Karimi then appeared on the scene again asking for help.

Mr Allan asked what happened.

The woman replied: "I walked on quickly telling him to go away and to leave me alone. He caught up quickly.

"By that time, we were back at the underpass and he grabbed me and put his left hand on my mouth then put his hand down the front of my leggings."

The woman was then repeatedly groped by Karimi as she was screaming for her boyfriend.

Karimi tried to drag her backwards as she tried to fend him off.

The woman stated he fled after two people arrived at the scene who had watched events take place from their nearby flat.

Mr Allan asked how the woman felt about the incident and she replied: "Violated, upset, I went to try and help someone and that's what happened to me."

Sinead Corrigan, defending, told the sentencing that Karimi does not accept a level of responsibility.

The lawyer added: "He denies there was any prior planning for these offences.

"Ultimately, these offences would have caused a high degree of upset and trauma for the victims involved."