Ex-lord’s child sex case set to begin

A JURY will today begin to hear the prosecution case against a former peer from Rotherham accused of committing child sex offences against a boy and a girl.

A JURY will today  begin to hear the prosecution case against a former peer from Rotherham accused of committing child sex offences against a boy and a girl.

Nazir Ahmed (64), of East Bawtry Road, Rotherham, is on trial at Sheffield Crown Court accused of four offences dating back to the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The former Labour peer’s brothers, Mohammed Farouq (71) and Mohammed Tariq (65), have also been accused of assault but have been deemed not fit to plead on health grounds.

Farouq and Tariq face a trial of the facts and the jury will be asked to determine whether they did the acts they are accused of.

A jury was sworn in before all three defendants on Tuesday.

Ahmed is accused of sexually assaulting a boy between 1971 and 1972 and of attempting to rape a girl between 1973 and 1974.

The former Rotherham councillor denies buggery, indecent assault and two counts of attempted rape.

Tariq, of Gerard Road, Rotherham, faces two counts of indecent assault between 1970 and 1972 and Farouq, of Worrygoose Lane, Rotherham, faces four counts of indecent assault between 1968 and 1972.

The trial is estimated to last four weeks.