A Wirral takeaway owner who sexually attacked a young woman customer after calling at her home with a “free” pizza and later molested a teenager was jailed for seven years today.

Akam Ahmadi wept in the dock covering his eyes with his hands as he was sentenced after a jury unanimously convicted him of both offences following four-and-a-half hours of deliberations.

Judge Robert Trevor-Jones told 29-year-old Iranian-born Ahmadi that his denials meant both his victims had “to undergo the ordeal of giving evidence with their evidence challenged and the being accused of lying - when it was you who was lying.”

He said that the more serious offence happened at night at the Wirral home of the victim “after you had contrived an excuse to call round again…there was some degree of premeditation I have no doubt.

“You continued to assault her despite her protests and struggles,” he said.

Ahmadi, of Faulkner Terrace, Upper Parliament Street, Liverpool, denied that offence and and another of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old girl.

He received two months for that offence to run concurrently to the seven years.

The judge also ordered him to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and imposed seven-year restraining orders to keep away from his victims.

Sarah Holt, prosecuting, said in an impact statement the first woman, aged in her early-20s, told how she had been “going through a bad patch” at the time after a relationship breakdown and felt worthless.

“His assault made everything much worse. I didn’t want to carry on with my life. Fortunately friends supported me and I got through it.”

She said that for a month afterwards she felt unable to sleep in the bed on which he had attacked her and slept on the kitchen floor.

Both women said it had affected their sleep patterns and the younger woman described him as “a disgrace.”

During his week-long trial the jury of nine women and three men heard that he had originally met the first woman when she telephoned his business and ordered a pizza to be delivered to her bedsit.

He personally delivered it and they began chatting and after she asked if there were any jobs available at his takeaway, Al Capone’s Pizza, in Argyle Street, Birkenhead, he said there might be and asked for her phone number.

The next night, February 3, 2015, he sent her a text offering her a pizza and when she replied that she had no money he told her it would be free, said Sarah Holt, prosecuting.

“She thought he was being nice and was not suspicious and accepted his offer.”

However it was not until shortly before midnight that she heard a knock at her front door.

By that time she was in the shower so wrapped a large towel around herself and put on her dressing gown and opened the door.

She was surprised to see him as she assumed he had forgotten his offer and she took the pizza and expected the door to close behind her as she went back into her bedsit.

When she turned round he was there and they chatted and he took a slice of pizza. “All of a sudden he lunged at her and pushed her so she was lying flat on her bed banging her head and shoulder as she went down,” alleged Miss Holt.

“By now she was frightened and crying, telling him to stop and trying to push him off but she felt powerless.”

“Afterwards and despite her saying stop it and crying he asked, ‘did you enjoy it?’”

She was so frightened and wanted him to leave that she nodded, and after he smoked a cigarette he left.

She later told a friend and ultimately the police were informed and when she was medically examined bruises and abrasions were found on her body.

The woman decided she did not want to proceed with a formal complaint and nothing further was done by police at the time until the second woman came forward and complained about his behaviour.

Miss Holt said that that victim said that in the summer of 2015 Ahmadi, who had previously been pestering her to kiss him, put his arm around her and tried to kiss her when she was in the takeaway shop.

She moved her head away and tried back away from him and she managed to escape when a customer came in.

He asked her not to tell anyone what had happened.

She did not immediately do so but while talking to police about something else she told them about the incident.

Ahmadi disputed their claims.

He said he had felt sorry for the woman to whom he delivered the pizza and had given her £10 and kissed her on the cheek and breast.

He denied he had sexually assaulted her.

He also said nothing happened with the other young victim.

Zia Chaudhry, defending, said that Ahmadi, a naturalised British citizen, has no previous convictions and had worked hard.