Kamal Ghorui
A former mayor in Berkshire has been jailed for helping her son hide key evidence during a police investigation into the rape of a 15-year-old girl.Naheed Ejaz, 61, who had recently served as mayor of Bracknell Forest, was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of perverting the course of justice at Winchester Crown Court.Her son, Diwan Khan, 41, was found guilty of raping the teenager and had already admitted attempting to conceal evidence. He was jailed for 12 years and handed an extended five-year licence period.The court heard Ejaz delayed officers at her home and spoke to her son in Urdu, giving him time to hide his mobile phone, believed to contain footage of the assault. The device has never been recovered.Khan had supplied the girl with drugs and alcohol before she lost consciousness. She later woke up in a car with no memory of what had happened. Prosecutors said he filmed the assault and later used the video to threaten her.Sentencing Ejaz, Judge Rufus Taylor said she had prioritised her son over justice.“You chose to protect him,” he said, adding that her actions created a “real risk” that Khan could have avoided prosecution, The Times (UK) reported.In a victim impact statement, the teenager described the lasting effect on her mental health.“My mental health has been all over the place due to flashbacks, not being able to sleep,” she said. “In June 2025 I tried to commit suicide and ended up in hospital. I just wanted to end my life so the pain would go away.”Detective Constable Lee Clement said the victim had shown “considerable bravery” throughout the case.“This attack continues to have a significant impact on her mental health,” he said. “Khan targeted a vulnerable teenage girl and, along with his mother, tried to cover up evidence to hinder our investigation.”Ejaz, who had no previous convictions, had previously served as a councillor in Bracknell Forest. Following the case, the council removed her official portrait and said it would review how both she and her son held taxi licences.Khan will serve at least eight years before he can be considered for parole and is subject to a long-term sexual harm prevention order and an indefinite restraining order.
