Locations
Walworth Road, London, SE1
Description
A rapist who crept into bed and sexually assaulted his flatmate as she slept has been jailed for 14 years.
Andrew White, 33, was found to have choked the woman, in her 30s, after she woke up in the middle of the attack at the address they shared in Lambeth and tried to pull away.
Police rushed on June 18, last year after the victim reported the rape and are now looking for any other potential survivors of White to come forward.
The victim alleges she had been asleep when she awoke to find White behind her. His genitals were exposed and her trousers had been pulled down.
When she moved away from him White then put his hands around her neck in a choke hold.
On arrest officers searched White and found him in possession of cannabis.
He was taken into custody where he strenuously denied the allegations.
Detectives gathered witness testimony, video and forensic evidence that would ultimately prove White’s guilt.
DC Mariama Connell said: “The victim lived in the same address as White but was not in any sort of relationship with him. She was asleep and White saw this as an opportunity to attack her for his own sexual gratification.
“I know she continues to live with the impact of what happened to this day. It is my hope that knowing White has received a significant custodial term will provide her some small measure of comfort.
“In the pre-sentencing report White was assessed as someone who posed a high risk of significant harm to adult women. As a result we believe it may be possible that there are more victims of White who have yet to come forward.
“I urge any potential victims to make contact with us immediately. We will listen to you, we will act and we will do everything we can to bring you justice.”
White, of Walworth Road SE1, was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court on Monday.
He had been convicted at a hearing in May of one count of rape, one count of non-fatal strangulation and possession of a class B drug at an earlier hearing.