UK Judge Says Syrian Asylum Seeker Faces Deportation After Cardiff Sex Assault Sentence

A Syrian national described as an asylum seeker, Fawaz Alsamaou, 33, pleaded guilty at Newport Crown Court to sexually assaulting and strangling a woman in Cardiff on May 12 and received a three-year, one-month sentence. The judge said he is "highly likely" to be deported after serving part of his term. CCTV aided police in identifying and arresting Alsamaou; the victim described lasting trauma and fear following the attack. The case feeds into a recent UK debate over deportations and ECHR constraints amid a short-term cluster of migrant-linked sexual-assault cases and related protests.