Police have praised a minicab driver’s actions after he helped prevent an attempted rape in Borough High Street.
The anonymous driver was driving along the road when he heard shouts coming from the victim, prompting him to turn around and stop the suspect, Husain Faiz, 20, from carrying out his attack.
His deeds were commended by Judge Katz, awarding him £500, as he sentenced Faiz at Woolwich Crown Court to fifteen years imprisonment.
Faiz, from Catford, was sentenced for two attempted rapes in the space of two days – the first in Chiswick when he targeted a 30-year-old woman after following her home on a bus from London in January.
Detective Inspector Kate Kieran said: “Faiz made two violent attempts to rape his victims, deliberately targeting them on their way home in the early hours of the morning.
“I would like to praise the courage and strength of the two victims – one of whom had the added ordeal of having to go through a trial.
“The actions of the minicab driver were also extremely brave and selfless and he prevented Faiz from carrying on with the attack and his evidence at court was key in getting Faiz convicted for the incident in Borough.”
Faiz followed his first victim in Chiswick for a short while before he grabbed her around the neck and then attempted to rape her.
In an attempt to stall the attack, the victim managed to persuade him to come with her to her flat but when they arrived, she shouted and screamed and managed to shut her door before Faiz was able to enter he then ran off.
Whilst officers were interviewing the suspect they linked him to another attack near Borough High Street through certain similarities in the two attacks and descriptions of the suspect.
The second incident in Borough High Street occurred when he grabbed a 29-year-old woman and dragged her into an alley and began to sexually assault her.
However, the passing minicab driver heard her shouts and pulled up by the alley causing the suspect ran off.