A “sexual predator” has been jailed after he assaulted and raped a young woman following a night out in south-east London.
Craig Dorney, 35, of Duncombe Hill, Lewisham, was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court to seven years in prison on Thursday for rape and two counts of sexual assault.
The court heard the 27-year-old victim had taken a taxi to Lewisham, just before 2am on Saturday June 29 when she met Dorney who was getting out of another cab.
After the two spoke, Dorney assaulted and raped her before she could get away to call police.
The victim managed to capture part of the assault on her phone, taking a video to record their conversation.
Dorney was identified and arrested within 24 hours.
Police built a case against Dorney by trawling through CCTV, and gathering forensic and medical evidence, such as Dorney’s clothing, bedding and phone and taxi receipts.
Detectives also obtained witness statements from friends, as well as the two taxi drivers that had driven the suspect and victim on the night of the assault.
Dorney was charged with rape and two counts of sexual assault on July 28.
He appeared at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday, December 2 and was found guilty on Friday, December 6 of all three offences.
Detective Constable James Hart, who led the investigation for the Met, said: “We hope this sentence brings some level of justice for the victim-survivor who bravely came forward and helped us catch her perpetrator in what must have been extremely distressing circumstances.
“We’d like to thank the victim-survivor for providing vital evidence at the start of our investigation, as well as the other witnesses who provided statements.
“Dorney is a sexual predator who targeted a vulnerable woman and I hope this case proves the Met is determined to tackle violence against women and girls, which has a significant and lasting impact on victim-survivors."
If you've been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999.
