An Orpington man has pleaded guilty to raping a woman at knifepoint and sexually assaulting another after stuffing a sock into her mouth.

Martin Lowrence, of Hillcrest Road, pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court on Tuesday (July 28) on the second day of his trial.

The 23-year-old admitted one count of rape, two counts of assault by penetration and one count of possessing a bladed article, a knife.

Lowrence grabbed a 20-year-old woman from behind and held a knife to her throat in Sevenoaks Road at the junction with Goddington Lane on October 10, last year.

He overpowered his victim, who tried to fight back, and raped her before running off.

The woman ran to a petrol station nearby and called police, who established blood found on her face belonged to her attacker.

Lowrence approached police at the cordon of the crime scene the next day to report he was the victim of an attempted robbery at the same location and time as the rape.

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Goddington Lane cordoned off by police on October 10 last year

He had a cut to his face and marks on his body not consistent with his allegation but consistent with injuries the victim said she had caused her attacker when she tried to fight him off.

Lowrence was arrested and police found knives in his bedroom during a search of his home.

Later, he was matched to a DNA profile obtained from a latex glove during a forensic investigation of a sexual assault at a bus stop in Orpington in September 2013.

Lowrence grabbed a 35-year-old woman from behind at the junction of Sevenoaks Road and Hillcrest Road before forcing her to the ground.

Again, his victim tried to fight back but he forced a sock into her mouth to prevent her from calling for help and sexually assaulted her before he was disturbed by a member of the public.

Lowrence will be sentenced on August 21.