Ten years in prison for violent offender who raped woman after offering to walk her home

A man has been sentenced to prison after raping a woman who was out on a night out. Rafat Galhad, 30, of Ashmount Road, Tottenham, was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment at Wood Green Crown Court on Thursday 4 July for rape and attempted rape of a woman.

Galhad first came to police’s attention when the victim made an emergency call in December 2023 to say she had been raped in an east London property. They were out with friends in Hackney when Galhad offered to walk them home.

He then “brutally” raped the victim and the survivor, causing multiple injuries. A police spokesman said: “Local officers immediately responded to the call and quickly began searching for Galhad. They arrested him within 24 hours and immediately interrogated him.”

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“Specialist officers then worked tirelessly to build a watertight case against Galhad, which led to him being charged two days after the incident.” On Monday 10 June, he appeared before Wood Green Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to his offences.

Detective Constable Imran Musalman, who led the investigation, said: “Galhad was a dangerous sexual predator who targeted the survivor as she went out at night. This verdict sends a clear message to potential offenders – the police will actively pursue and prosecute offenders using the full force of the law.”

“Violence against women and girls has a profound and long-lasting impact on those affected. Such violence impacts the local community, affecting how safe people feel where they live and how much trust they have in their local police. Our job is to protect victims and bring them justice. We will not let up in our mission to combat violence against women and girls.”

A Met spokesperson added: “Tackling violence against women and girls is a key priority for all Met officers, from specialist teams to local neighbourhood officers. As part of A New Met for London, the Met is doing more to support communities and people whose trust has been shattered.”

“More and more officers and teams are focusing on protecting women and children from violence and targeting predatory men who commit such crimes.”

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