A Kennington man, who posed as a minicab driver to rape a woman who fell asleep in his car months after carrying out a violent attack on another woman near his home, was sentenced to 19 years in prison today (Thursday, February 24)
The court was told how 38-year-old Michael Mehari stalked the streets of Kennington to attack vulnerable women on their way home from a night out.
The first attack took place on Sunday, December 29, 2019, as the victim, in her twenties, was making her way home from a night out with friends. She was hit on the head before being dragged into a secluded pathway in the Kennington Park Road area.
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He remained at large before striking again in the early hours of March 20 last year. The court heard the second victim, also in her twenties, had ordered an Uber to King Cross and she got into Mehari’s car, believing it was her taxi. She dozed off in the back of the vehicle and awoke to find Mehari attacking her.
He had taken her to a quiet side street in Kennington. She confronted him, left the vehicle and reported the incident to transport staff at a nearby tube station who called police.
An investigation was launched and enquiries led to the arrest of Mehari. A DNA sample, taken in custody, linked him to both the 2019 and 2022 attacks.
Detective Constable Tristan Jones of the Met’s Central South Command said: “Mehari is a dangerous opportunist who actively sought lone women.
“Identifying and apprehending those who commit violence against women and girls is a priority to which we are absolutely committed.
“I applaud the bravery of the victims in this case. I sincerely hope that the sentence handed to Mehari provides them with a degree of closure and a sense that justice has been done.
“I urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault to contact police or a support agency. Please don’t suffer in silence.”
Mehari must serve at least two thirds of his prison sentence before being considered for release. He will also be subject to sex offender notifications for life.