Two Birmingham men jailed after sexual assault on homeless woman

Two Birmingham men who sexually assaulted and abused a homeless woman during a visit to London have been jailed.

Jake Johnson, 26, of no fixed address and Matthew Bibb, 32, of Slingfield Road, Birmingham were both jailed for 11 years.

They pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault at an earlier hearing. The pair were convicted following a complex investigation by officers from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command.

The suspects were arrested on November 12, 2018.

The pair were in London staying in Kings Street, Hammersmith when they went out to purchase some alcohol from a nearby 24-hour shop. Whilst in the street they encountered the victim, who was homeless. They invited her to join them at the hotel to warm up and have a hot drink. Given the weather was cold and wet the victim gratefully accepted the offer. But once back in the room Johnson and Bibb subjected her to a prolonged and violent sexual assault before throwing her out.

In a distressed state, the victim fled and reported the incident to the hotel manager and her friends, who assisted in detaining the suspects at the hotel. Police arrived and the suspects were arrested. Both initially denied that the victim had been in the hotel room or that they had assaulted her.

What followed was a significant investigation by officers to build a case against the suspects, focussed on CCTV and forensic evidence, along with witness testimonies.

As a result of their efforts, Johnson and Bibb were each charged in June 2021 with two counts of sexual assault by penetration and one count of attempted rape.

Their trial started on Monday, November 21 2022 at Isleworth Crown Court.

Johnson and Bibb initially pleaded not guilty, but changed their pleas to guilty on the third day. The attempted rape charge was left on file. They were sentenced the same day.

Detective Constable Carrina Turner said:“Bibb and Johnson subjected the victim – a clearly vulnerable woman - to horrific, humiliating and degrading sexual abuse. They are exactly those predatory and violent sexual offenders who we are committed to taking off our streets.

“I would like to commend the victim for her bravery and composure throughout this lengthy investigation. I know that she is understandably still suffering from the long term effects of such a terrifying ordeal, but hope she can take some comfort in this result and the knowledge her actions have potentially prevented further offences.

“We always treat any allegation of sexual assault seriously and work hard to support and seek justice for the victim. I would urge any victims to speak to us directly or to contact us through a third party support group such as The Havens or London Survivors Gateway. Both offer a 24/7 urgent advice number if you need to speak with someone for the first time. The most important thing is to not suffer in silence.”