A 21-year-old man who attempted to rape a woman in a terrifying attack in Merton has been jailed..
- Khaled Argoub, 21, was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on 17 September 2020
- He was charged three counts of sexual assault and two of attempted rape
- Argoub was given an extended sentence of 22 years
- His sentences of nine and ten years will run concurrently
Khaled Argoub, of Garratt Terrace, in Tooting, appeared at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, February 21, where he was convicted of seven offences, including two counts of attempted rape and three counts of sexual assault.
It took the jury less than two hours to find him guilty of all offences.
He was given an extended sentence of 22 years for count one of attempted rape. 14 of those he will spend in custody. He will be considered for parole after serving two thirds of the 14 years.
During the trial the court heard the victim, aged in her 20s, was heading home after a night out with her friends on August 11 last year. She boarded the Night Tube and was followed by Argoub.
After she exited at Colliers Wood at about 3.30am, Argoub ran towards her and dragged her into Wandle Park. He put his arm around her neck, choking her, before attempting to rape her twice. He also sexually assaulted her.
The victim eventually managed to escape and ran to a nearby block of flats pleading for help.
The victim was taken to hospital where she had significant cuts and scratches to her body and reddening to her neck. Her voice was hoarse from the strangulation, resulting in her struggling to speak.
A number of officers were involved in a search of the immediate area for the suspect, with the assistance of air support and a specialist dog unit, however there was no trace of Argoub.
A detailed search of the crime scene resulted in officers recovering a baseball cap with a B logo on the front.
A trawl of CCTV identified a male fitting Argoub’s description following the victim and filming her as she exited the Tube station. He was wearing the baseball cap with the B logo found at the scene of the crime.
Forensic evidence from the victim also matched the DNA profile of Argoub. He was arrested within two weeks of the crime.