Man who raped woman in his Blackheath home after meeting her on Instagram has been jailed

A man who raped a woman twice in his south-east London home after meeting her on Instagram has been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison.

Woolwich Crown Court heard how 32-year-old Obaro Okagbare abused his victim while she was “unable to speak or move” due to a mixture of alcohol and cannabis.

The victim, in her twenties, first met Okagbare on the evening of January 31, 2020, after they exchanged messages on Instagram.

They had originally planned to go out but then decided to go to Okagbare’s house on Holburne Road in Blackheath.

Once there, they drank alcohol and smoked cannabis before the woman began to feel unwell.

She went upstairs to the bathroom where she vomited before Okagbare helped her to the bedroom, where she described being unable to speak or move.

Okagbare then raped her twice while she was incapacitated. When the woman regained composure, she left the property and called the police.

Okagbare was arrested on February 2, 2020 and later charged with rape.

On 23 January, he was found guilty of two counts of rape following a trial at Woolwich Crown Court.

On Monday, he was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison by the same court.

He will also be required to register on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period of time.

Detective Sergeant Dean Young of the South East Public Protection Team said: “Okagbare cruelly took advantage of the woman’s incapacity and raped her twice despite her being unable to give consent.

“The woman he attacked has shown tremendous strength and courage by reporting her ordeal to the police and following the trial in court. I hope Okagbare’s conviction will bring her some closure.

“I also hope this sends a strong message to those who have been victims of sexual offences – please report it to the police as we have specially trained officers who can support you and help put the offenders behind bars.”