Rapist who asked teen for a hug jailed for four years

A Sydney man who followed a teenager from McDonald's and asked her for a hug before raping her in the street has received a lighter sentence because of his mental health.

Hosam Soueid, 35, was sentenced on Tuesday to a maximum jail term of four years and one month after sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman on the street at around 2am in Castle Hill on November 21, 2021.

"This was a very serious offence committed on a relatively vulnerable woman in a public place late at night and involved a level of violence committed upon her," said Judge Mark Buscombe in Parramatta District Court.

Soueid spotted the woman as she left the McDonald's and followed her in his car with the headlights turned off.

He parked ahead of her in the street and emerged from the shadows, confronting her.

"My friend just died, he got shot. Can you give me a hug?" he said to her.

"No, I have to go. My mum is calling," the victim replied.

Soueid then grabbed the teenager from behind in a bear hug before lifting up her skirt and sexually assaulting her for a few seconds.

The woman fought him off, stumbling onto the roadway and suffering scratches and bruises before running off.

As she looked back, she saw the Castle Hill man running in the opposite direction.

"Sexual assaults against young women going about their lives at night are obviously very serious offences," Judge Buscombe said.

"Young women in our community should feel safe to go about their social lives at night without the risks of being set upon by offenders."

Backdated to December 15, 2021 when he was arrested and placed in custody, Soueid's sentence will expire on January 14, 2026.

He was also given a non-parole period of two years and eight months, expiring next August.

Judge Buscombe discounted the time behind bars by 25 per cent because of Soueid's early guilty plea to the sexual assault.

A longer period on parole was also offered after the judge took into account Soueid's mental conditions, finding he had suffered two traumatic brain injuries including from an assault in 2003.

PTSD diagnosed after the assault had led the Castle Hill man to self-medicate with cannabis, methlyamphetamine and alcohol on the night of the rape.

Soueid also had expressed genuine remorse for his actions, the judge found.

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