A man who lured a teenager into his car by offering her a lift home before raping her in a secluded area of Greenwich has been jailed.

Taofiq Laguda, 46, of Dagenham was sentenced on Thursday, February 25, at Woolwich Crown Court to seven years in prison having been convicted of rape last month.

The court heard that Laguda spotted his victim walking alone at night, approaching her at around 1.30am on January 24, 2020.

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The 18-year-old had just finished working at a restaurant in Peckham and decided to walk home as her bus was delayed.

Driving his wife’s car, Laguda pulled up beside the victim and asked for directions before offering her a lift towards Deptford. The victim agreed.

Soon Laguda’s demeanour changed, and he told his victim that he could not stop where she wanted.

Instead, he drove into a dark and secluded area of an estate in Greenwich.

When the victim tried to open the door and told Laguda that it was locked, he said “Oh is it?” before saying “Get in the back or I’ll kill you”.

Laguda raped his victim driving off with the victims’s handbag containing her phone and money, leaving her abandoned on the roadside.

Detectives located Laguda and the car through ANPR data linked through the victim’s phone that she had at with her at the time of the incident.

The data showed he was not the registered keeper of the car and that he was on life license in which he had conditions to not drive.

Laguda plead not guilty in court but was convicted by unanimous verdict by the jury.

Detective Constable Daniel Weeks, said: “This horrific attack strikes at the heart of our society. The victim has shown tremendous resilience throughout this ordeal, the police investigation and subsequent trial. My thanks goes to all the officers and partner agencies who relentless worked on this case to ensure justice."

Detective Inspector Spencer Thomas said: “Taofiq Laguda is a very dangerous man who raped a female he enticed off the street. He poses a significant risk to women and I am pleased that he has been convicted of these offences. The police have a responsibility to protect the public from this kind of individual.

"I would like to pay tribute to the victim who had the courage to report this distressing assault to police, and attend court to give evidence against Laguda. I hope that this outcome gives the victim and her family a measure of comfort and closure.”