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A sexual predator has been jailed for life for raping a child and attempting to rape a woman amongst other offences.
Navroop Singh, 24, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 14 years for five charges on Friday, July 4, following a four-day trial at Isleworth Crown Court.
He was convicted of the attempted rape of a woman in Southall Park, Ealing last year.
Singh, of Mellow Lane East, Hillingdon, was also guilty of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence.
He had previously pleaded guilty to a further three offences: possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence, the rape of a girl under 13 and assault of a girl under 13 by penetration.
These charges relate to the rape of a child at Hayes End Park, Hillingdon on Wednesday, October 23, 2024.
The Metropolitan Police managed to track down Singh using forensics, CCTV and witness accounts.
Scotland Yard launched an investigation into Singh following reports of an attempted rape of a woman in her 20s on October 13, 2024.
Two off duty officers were alerted when they met with the victim near the gates of the park.
The officers, who were in the area by chance, accompanied her to the nearest police station.
Singh had been sitting on a bench during the early hours, where he waited for a potential victim to walk past.
He was carrying an imitation firearm, which he had ordered and assembled.
Singh then used it to threaten the female victim while he attempted to rape her.
On the days following the report, detectives trawled through hours of CCTV footage to try and identify an offender.
Meanwhile, a child was raped at a different park on October 23, 2024. The Met immediately made a link between the offences and managed to secure additional forensic evidence.
They were able to trace Singh to within a few doors of his home address where they delivered leaflets to appeal for witnesses and carried out increased patrols of the area.
Singh was then arrested on Sunday, October 27.
Each of the victims have been supported by specialist officers throughout the probe and court process.
Acting Chief Superintendent Sean Lynch, who leads policing in West Area, said: "I would like to commend the strength of the victim-survivors and their families and thank them for their unwavering bravery in reporting these awful incidents to us.
“Today’s conviction is testament to the officers’ thorough investigation, which has identified a violent sexual offender and undoubtedly prevented further harm.
“We are continuing to prioritise tackling violence against women and girls with our increased specialist teams. I hope that the community will find reassurance in our action to put this predator behind bars.”
If you've been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999
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