Man sentenced to 16 years in prison after dragging woman off central London street and raping her

A man who claimed to be a taxi driver trainee and dragged a woman into a car in a “horrific” rape and kidnapping scene has been sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Abdulahi Mohamud was driving his car through the streets of central London until, on a cold January morning, he found a young woman locked out of her home on Noel Street in Soho.

A surveillance camera captured a man getting out of a dark car, approaching the victim, forcing him into the vehicle and then driving away.

The survivor reported to police that she had been kidnapped and raped by an unknown assailant.

She could not tell officers where she had been abducted, but said she had previously been at a bar near Oxford Street.

Officers examined CCTV footage from the venue, which showed the victim leaving the venue and getting into a taxi.

They followed the taxi to a property on Noel Street, near where she planned to stay on the evening of January 25, 2022.

Cameras recorded the moment Mohamud got out of his car at 4:50 a.m. and dragged the victim inside.

Detectives spent hours trying to find a security camera footage showing his license plate.

Mohamud was tracked down and stopped by officers on Kings Road in Chelsea on January 28.

When questioned, Mohamud denied the offences and claimed that his repeated trips through central London were due to his training as a taxi driver.

DC James Brevitt thanked the victim for her courage in coming forward. He said: ‘Mohamud carried out a horrific attack on a young woman, taking full advantage of her being out alone at night.

“Our investigation revealed that Mohamud spent hours that night – and the nights before – driving around looking for someone he could lure into his car and insult.

“He is an extremely dangerous person and we are glad that he is now behind bars for a longer period of time.”

On Thursday, Abdulahi Mohamud, of Stratford Close, New Malden, was sentenced to prison for rape and kidnapping.

The judge praised investigators for their thorough and detailed work that led to the identification of Mohamud.

If you have been a victim of sexual assault or rape, even if the abuse is recent, or if you have information about an offender, contact the police in an emergency on 101 or 999.