Uvesh Vahora, 36, will be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court today, Wednesday 11 November, after being convicted of raping a woman in the Hyde Park area of Leeds. Vahora was found guilty of one count of rape following a trial at the court on Tuesday 3 November and has been held in custody ever since.

West Yorkshire Police confirmed that Vahora, of no fixed abode, was convicted after a jury heard evidence about the attack on Autumn Avenue on the night of 9 April 2026. The offence was the subject of a public appeal at the time, and officers arrested Vahora within around five hours of the victim reporting what had happened.

What happened on Autumn Avenue

The incident took place at a property on Autumn Avenue in the Hyde Park area of Leeds on the night of 9 April 2026. The victim was able to identify the property where the offence took place, and Vahora, who was living at the address at the time, was arrested.

Police said Vahora, whose self-defined ethnicity is Asian Indian, was in the country as a student. He was charged with rape and remanded in custody, and he has remained on remand since his arrest in April while the case moved through the courts.

The trial at Leeds Crown Court ended on 3 November with a guilty verdict on the single count of rape. The judge remanded Vahora in custody to be sentenced today.

How police built the case

Detective Inspector Tom Crosfill, who led the investigation, said Vahora had subjected the victim to a terrifying experience. "Vahora has subjected the victim to a terrifying experience with her being in genuine fear for her life thinking that he was going to kill her," he said.

"After disclosing the offence to friends, she contacted police with officers arresting Vahora within around five hours of this offence taking place. He has been held on remand since that time."

Detective Inspector Crosfill said investigators gathered victim and witness statements, CCTV footage and digital evidence that led to the conviction. He added that he understood how difficult it could be to report rape and other sexual offences, and said he hoped the conviction demonstrated how seriously an offence of this nature was treated from the outset.

"Our message to victims is that you will be listened to, you will be supported and we will do everything possible to bring perpetrators before the courts," he said.

What happens at sentencing today

Vahora will appear before a judge at Leeds Crown Court today for sentencing. The court will hear submissions before passing sentence, and the judge will take account of the seriousness of the offence and the impact on the victim.

Rape carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment in England and Wales, with the length of any custodial term set by the judge according to sentencing guidelines. Vahora has already spent around seven months in custody on remand, and time served on remand is normally taken into account when a sentence is passed.

Today's hearing brings the court proceedings to a close more than seven months after the attack. West Yorkshire Police said the victim continues to receive support from specially trained officers.