An Eritrean migrant has been jailed for eight years after raping and strangling a 19-year-old woman in Cheshire.
Fikadu Yemane, 29, who lives in Manchester, was found guilty following a 10-day trial at Chester Crown Court.
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The court heard that Yemane subjected the young woman to a violent sexual assault at a property in Crewe on July 16, 2025, leaving visible injuries to her neck.
Yemane and the victim already knew each other and had arranged through social media to meet in Manchester city centre on the day of the attack.
They later travelled to Crewe with a second man before Yemane was left alone with the woman at the property.
Yemane dragged her into a bedroom, stripped off her clothing and raped her.
During the attack, he placed his hand over her mouth and squeezed her throat with such force that she came close to blacking out as she fought back.
The second man eventually returned to the property and pulled Yemane away from the victim, allowing her to escape and raise the alarm.
Yemane fled on foot before officers arrived and remained at large for six days before he was arrested in Manchester.
While evading police, he changed the SD card in his mobile phone in an attempt to destroy digital evidence.
Officers searching the Crewe property discovered a condom containing DNA from both Yemane and the victim in a wheelie bin outside, alongside the woman’s underwear.
When questioned by detectives, Yemane denied that sexual activity had taken place while also maintaining that what happened between himself and the victim was consensual.
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Detective Constable Jaymie Johnson, of Cheshire Police, branded Yemane’s behaviour “downright predatory”.
She said: “He took advantage of a vulnerable victim, who thought she was with someone she could trust, before going on to rape her and cause her serious injury when she bravely fought back against him.”
DC Johnson said that despite the forensic evidence, Yemane denied the offences and forced his victim to relive the attack during the trial.
She added: “I am glad that the jury have reached a guilty verdict on both counts and Yemane has been handed a significant custodial sentence.”
Yemane was sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted of one count of rape and one count of intentional strangulation.
The Eritrean migrant was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.
Upon his eventual release, he will be monitored by specialist officers for the remainder of his life.
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