Asylum seeker accused of sex attacks told police he walked woman home as 'act of kindness'

An asylum seeker accused of sexually assaulting two women told police he walked one of his alleged victims home as "an act of kindness".

Syrian Muhammad Sheikhi, 23, is accused of carrying out the alleged attacks in Falkirk during the early hours of 30 November 2025.

Sheikhi is said to have sexually assaulted one woman with intent to rape her in Kerse Lane and Bellsmeadow skate park.

Prosecutors also allege he attacked a second woman in Kerse Lane, close to the Hotel Cladhan where he was staying at the time.

Sheikhi, who came to the UK by boat, denies all charges against him.

On Thursday, Stirling Sheriff Court was shown footage of Sheikhi's police interview following his arrest later at the hotel on the morning of 30 November.

During the interview, which was held using an Arabic interpreter, he told the officers he had taken "pity" on one of his alleged victims after seeing her sitting crying on the side of the road.

He said: "She told me that she needs help to get home. She was crying, and she was wearing high heels and the straps were broken, they were snapped.

"When I saw her, we are human, so I took pity on her. I took pity on her, I took off my shoes. I gave her my shoes.

"I told her to contact someone to come and pick her up or arrange for something."

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On Wednesday, the court was shown CCTV footage from Kerse Lane showing the two walking side by side, with her wearing his shoes and Sheikhi in his socks.

The indictment alleges that, at one point during the journey, Sheikhi seized the woman and pinned her against a tree, before sexually assaulting her.

Sheikhi told police that when they reached her friend's house, she could not get inside, and the woman had been "so upset".

He said: "I was trying to reassure her, I said 'I'm not leaving you, I will stay with you until someone opens the door'."

He also said that he expected to be thanked for getting her home safely, stating: "I said to myself, 'you're doing something nice to people'.

"When I was walking to her address, I thought the guy she was talking to over the phone... I thought they would be thanking me for helping her, walking her home.

"To me, it was something like an act of kindness."

He said when his parents died in Syria, and nobody helped them, he pledged that "whenever I see a person in need, I will try and help them".

Sheikhi added: "Like in 2014, I joined the coalition to try to help against terror."

Sheikhi's lawyer, Paul Keenan, said on Wednesday that his client denies anything sexual "of any type at any time occurred on evening in question".

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During the police interview, Sheikhi also denied sexually assaulting another woman in Kerse Lane, insisting that she had approached him and initiated a conversation.

"She looked at me, and asked my where I was from," he said. "I told her I was from Syria, and she asked me for my number."

He said she took his phone, opened Snapchat, typed in her details, and then sent herself an emoji.

Asked whether he had hugged or kissed her, he said that she had hugged him, and that she might have kissed him as well, adding that he could not remember.

The charge alleges he also put his hands under her clothing and touched her buttocks, but he denied this, saying, "no, God forbid, no", and "nothing of that happened".

He also denied following her, stating: "I would never follow her.

"A lot of girls yesterday spoke to me, some of them asked for my number, stuff like that. That's okay for me, but for me to be chasing a girl? No."

The trial, before Sheriff Keith O'Mahony, continues.

(c) Sky News 2026: Asylum seeker accused of sex attacks told police he walked woman home as 'act of kindness'