Student films her own attempted rape to help police catch attacker

'I was screaming the whole time, ‘I'm filming you, ... I'm going to call the f***ing police'

Lillian Constantine was using her phone as a torch as she walked home (file photo) (Getty/iStock)

A student who suffered an attempted rape helped police catch her attacker by filming the assault on her mobile phone.

Lillian Constantine, 18, waived her right to anonymity to share her experience at the hands of Ashraf Miah, who tried to rape her when she walked home one night.

Miah, 34, was able to hide because streets lights had been turned off by the council as part of cost saving measures.

He spotted Miss Constantine in the Enoteca bar in Ramsgate, Kent, where she was filming for her media studies coursework. She had one glass of wine and left at around 2am to walk home.

“Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone,” Miss Constantine said, the Mail Online reported.

“As soon as he touched me on the shoulder, that's when I started to record. Usually when I walk home I text people. It's also a source of light.”

Miah asked Miss Constantine where she was going and then tried to tackle her to the floor.

She continued: “I had no idea why at first. The first thing that came into my head was he was going to mug me. I was screaming the whole time, ‘I'm filming you, I'm filming you. I'm going to call the f***ing police, I'm filming you right now. You are not going to get away with this’.”

The struggle woke up people in nearby houses, which scared Miah off. Miss Constantine managed to make it the short distance home.

Police were able to use a frame of the footage to identify Miah – an illegal immigrant who works at a restaurant and track him down to an address in London.

While sentencing Miah at Canterbury Crown Court, Judge James O'Mahony said he was shocked by the footage Miss Constantine recorded.

“In 13 years on the bench, I have seldom heard a more harrowing incident of the brave victim screaming in terror and pleading for it to stop and the awful suffering she endured,” he said.

Miah was jailed for 13 and a half years.

Miss Constantine’s family are now calling for women’s services funding to be protected and for female police officers to respond to rape calls. They also said other measures, including more sexual assault centres and a system for logging rape allegations anonymously, should be introduced.

Kent Council said there had been no overall increase in crime since the street lights were partially switched off between midnight and 5.30am.