A court had to be locked down to stop a man accused of abducting and sexually assaulting a five-year-old girl from escaping. Mohammed Abdulraziq, 32, was found guilty of falsely imprisoning and sexually assaulting the child in his home in Winson Green, Birmingham, on March 30.

The Sudanese national had denied the charges at Birmingham Crown Court where the Category A prisoner's trial was heard. During the court proceedings, he was accompanied by four dock officers, who had applied for him to be kept in handcuffs. That application was rejected by Judge Kerry Maylin who said Abdulraziq was being tried in a secure dock. She declined another request ahead of him giving evidence from the witness box, arguing there was insufficient reason to do so.

Abdulraziq's barrister, Amy Jackson, opposed the move too, insisting it would have a negative impact on jurors.

But Judge Maylin did agree to further safety measures during his testimony, saying she was satisfied he was categorised as Category A and someone whose escape would be "highly dangerous to the public, police or security of the state".

As a result, the door to the judge's chamber and the public's access to the courtroom were locked. A dock officer stood in front of the public doorway and another sat close to the jury's door, which couldn't be locked, according to the Birmingham Mail.

Two more officers stood near Abdulraziq, who needed an interpreter in the witness box to help him follow the proceedings.

People in the public gallery were told by Judge Maylin they shouldn't try and leave as Abdulraziq gave evidence, as the room was in effect locked down.

Abdulraziq took 45 minutes to give his account to the court, claiming the girl entered his property on her own to use the bathroom.

He claimed she came into his room in the shared property in tears and asked him to help pull her shorts up. He also admitted drinking three cans of beer and smoking Mamba, a man-made drug designed to mimic the effects of cannabis.

The prosecution said Abdulraziq took the girl who was sitting outside his home after she had been running up and down the road. Her mother had been speaking to a friend who lived in the street.

Once they noticed the girl was missing, they went searching for her. They heard the youngster crying inside Abdulraziq's home and the mother's friend climbed through his window to see Abdulraziq and the child close to each other with their shorts down.

After he was found guilty, Judge Maylin told Abdulraziq he was facing a long prison sentence. He is due to be sentenced on December 9.