A woman who got into the car of a security guard believing it to be a pre-booked minicab was driven to a car park that he was in charge of guarding and raped.

Woman mistook rapist’s car for booked minicab: The rapist, Sola Austin Warikwah, 39, was jailed for the attack on the 25-year-old woman in the early hours of 22nd April 2019. She had mistaken his car for the cab that she had booked to take her home however Warikwah drove her to a multi storey car park in Victoria where he proceeded to attack and rape her. The car park was one of the sites that he was employed to patrol in Central London.

Although in a state of panic the woman managed to send her friend a text which read “I’ve been raped. I feel sick. This taxi won’t take me home. I’m scared.” After escaping from the car she managed to have the good sense to take pictures of her attacker and police used this, along with CCTV footage and vehicle inquiries, to arrest Warikwah two days after the rape. Warikwah was jailed for 7 years at Southwark Crown Court on 17th December.

He also received 3 years on top of the sentence to serve on licence. He has been issued with a sexual harm prevention order and put on the sex offenders register for life. Detective Sergeant John Paton said “Sola Austin Warikwah is a predatory sex offender who targeted a vulnerable, unsuspecting woman travelling alone.

Due to the courage and quick thinking of the victim, assistance from the public and the veracity of the investigation, a dangerous offender has been placed where he is no longer a threat to women. I sincerely hope that the sentence handed down today encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward.”

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