But in 2020, Basith was arrested for an unrelated incident.
Abdul Basith, aged 52, of Upton Park, East London, was jailed for 10 years for a rape he committed in 1999.
In March 1999, Basith targeted the woman as she tried to get a taxi home following a night out in Leicester Square.
But the woman, then aged in her 20s, did not have enough money and was struggling to find a cab that would take her home.
Basith approached the woman and said he would be happy to drive her home.
The woman obliged and got into his car.
At some point during the journey, Basith stopped in a small car park and assaulted the woman.
Basith then resumed driving but stopped again when they got close to Bethnal Green. He locked the doors to prevent the woman from escaping.
Police said that despite the victim’s shouting and efforts to fight back, Basith raped her and assaulted her a second time.
After eventually letting her go, the woman tried to see the car’s number plate.
But Basith pushed her away, causing her to fall to the ground. He then drove off.
A passer-by found the woman in a distressed state and took her to the police station.
At the time, officers carried out an extensive investigation but were unable to trace Basith.
But in 2020, Basith was arrested for an unrelated incident.
His DNA was placed in the police’s system and it matched the DNA submitted from the rape incident in 1999.
The rape case was then reopened and investigated.
This resulted in Basith being arrested and charged with rape and indecent assault.
Following a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Basith was found guilty. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison at the same court.
After sentencing, Detective Constable Amy Laybourn, of Central Specialist Crime, said:
“This woman suffered a terrible ordeal which she has lived with for many years.”
“It has taken several decades for Basith to be brought to justice but thankfully that has finally happened and we hope it has brought the victim the closure she deserves.
“The Met is committed to tackling violence against women and girls and I want to assure any victims who make a report they will receive specialist support and police will do all we can to bring offenders to justice.”
Loading ...