Care home manager who preyed on young staff and fled country jailed

A care home manager who sexually abused young female staff before fleeing to India from where he was later extradited has been jailed for nearly eight years.

Naijil Paul, 47, was due to stand trial in 2019 accused of sex offences, but instead he got a flight to India where he lived for six years.

He was later extradited back to the UK and pleaded guilty to a charge of rape and two charges of sexual assault, at the High Court in Glasgow in October.

He was given an extended sentence comprising seven years and nine months in jail followed by two years of supervision upon release when the case was called at the court on Monday.

Paul entered guilty pleas, but the court heard that he continued to blame his victims, who were significantly younger than him at the time of the offences, in 2018.

He appeared by video link from custody for sentencing, on Monday.

Judge Lord Renucci said the crimes were “premeditated” and that Paul “posed a risk to young and vulnerable women”, the court heard.

A criminal justice social work report found that Paul posed a “medium risk”, however, Lord Renucci said that the contents of the report was “troubling”, and that Paul “does not accept full responsibility”.

He said: “In relation to charge two, he seems to suggest he was doing the complainer a favour… he seeks to minimise. There has been a degree of victim blaming.

“Because of Mr Paul’s attitude and the degree of victim blaming… I am, in the circumstances, persuaded that a degree of post-release supervision is required.”

The judge said that despite pleading guilty to rape, it “seems to be his position that what he calls sexual interaction was consensual”, the court heard.

Lord Rennucci said: “Be in no doubt it was rape. You appear to accept little responsibility. You failed to turn up to trial in 2019 and fled to India.”

He said the first victim was abused over a five-month period and that all the victims were “significantly younger”.

The judge said his main consideration was “potential harm to the public”, and that it “seems he is a danger to young, vulnerable females”.

He told Paul: “Anything that could be said in your favour is weighed out by the gravity of offending.”

Paul was added to the sex offenders register for life, and was given a non-harassment order banning him from contacting all three women.

Defending, Edith Forrest KC, said: “The author of the criminal justice social work report recognises he is a risk of future offending.”