A MAN given the MBE for services to the community was branded a “manipulative liar” by a judge as he was jailed for sex offences.

Janaid Qureshi, aged 61, was yesterday sent to prison for four years after being convicted of six counts of sexual assault against a young woman.

The married father-ofthree, of Queen’s Road, Blackburn, who is well known in the region’s Muslim community, was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Qureshi could even lose his MBE, awarded in 1999. People jailed for more than three months can have their honours rescinded.

Qureshi was arrested in October 2008 and found guilty following a weeklong trial at Bolton Crown Court in February.

Judge Elliot Knopf described Qureshi as someone who had been a pillar of the community and had taken a “gigantic fall from grace”.

The court heard Qureshi had threatened the victim that he would use his influence in the community to deport her if any of the allegations ever came to light.

Judge Knopf told him: “A stigma has now been attached to your family as a result of your actions and the fact that you had such an established position in society makes this all the more tragic.

“But I have to tell you that I consider these offences so serious that immediate custodial sentence is justified.”

Qureshi bowed his head as the sentence was read out and an audible gasp was heard in the public gallery.