(posted 7801 days ago)Busker rapist caged for life
Dec 10 2002South London Press
A BUSKER who raped three tourists after being freed for an alleged attack on a 13-year-old girl was caged for life on Friday.Dreadlocked Emmanuel Ekezie preyed on victims while playing the African drums at London tourists spots, a court heard.
Cynically he would invite them back to his Kennington flat where he raped them. After each rape, the 36-year-old turned on the charm again and walked the confused victim to a nearby Tube station.
The Old Bailey heard Ekezie was arrested three times after almost identical allegations were made against him.
Each time he was released from custody and told charges would not be brought. And each time the serial rapist went on to take another victim, jurors were told. The Old Bailey heard that on May 2, 1997, he attacked a girl after meeting her in Waterloo.
He took her to his flat, in Hotspur Street, plied her with drink and threatened to break her legs with a hammer before raping her on a sofa. When arrested, Ekezie told cops the youngster came on to him after 'dancing provocatively' in his flat.
He was released without charge after it was decided a conviction was unlikely. Then on June 23, 1998, he raped a woman after chatting to her at Piccadilly Circus.
Ekezie was arrested but again claimed the victim initiated sex. No further action was taken.
On August 28, Ekezie raped a teenage student twice. Again he claimed the girl had come on to him and he was freed. His five-year reign of terror was finally brought to an end after a detective noticed the similarities between the rape claims and launched a video surveillance of his flat.
The court heard as the Crown Prosecution Service decided whether to press charges, Ekezie struck again, on January 9 this year, attacking a Japanese student. Officers then swooped on his home and arrested him.
A jury convicted Ekezie, who protested his innocence on the four rape charges.
Sentencing him on Friday to life on each charge, Judge Giles Forrester said Ekezie had used 'predatory tactics' and that all four of his victims were 'distressed and terrified' during the attacks. He will remain on the sex offenders' register for life. Speaking after the case, Detective Sergeant Kevin Young, of Lambeth police, said he was "delighted at today's sentence".