Following an eight-week trial at Isleworth Crown Court, Abdul Howe 21 of Fortunegate Road, Brent, was convicted of two counts of kidnap, seven counts of rape, one count of possession of an item with a blade or point, one count of sexual assault by penetration, one count of false imprisonment, two counts of actual bodily harm and one count of perverting the course of justice. His friend Ajani Williams 21 (1st pic) of Keslake Road, Brent, was convicted of false imprisonment, actual bodily harm, five counts of rape and one count of perverting the course of justice. He also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply a class B drug. DC Tony Larkin, who led the investigation, said: “The offences committed by these men against a vulnerable teenage girl are abhorrent and her account is one of the most distressing I have ever heard. “They are extremely dangerous individuals and our city will be safer now they are off our streets. “The victim in this case has shown incredible bravery, from initially coming forward and reporting what had happened to providing the vital evidence which secured today’s verdicts. We hope this shows how seriously we take allegations of this nature and that we will provide support at every step of the way to ensure justice is served.” The victim, then aged 17, attended Lewisham police station in September 2020 to report that she had been kidnapped and raped. She explained that she had been taken from her home in Ipswich by Abdul Howe, a man she initially got to know over social media before meeting in London. Howe had groomed and exploited her as part of his County Lines operation which ran drugs from the capital to Ipswich. After first taking her to a hostel where she was assaulted with nunchucks and raped, Howe forced her to travel back to his home address in Hammersmith where his friend, Ajani Williams, was waiting for them. Over the course of two days, the pair repeatedly raped and assaulted her. They then allowed her to leave but not before they had forced her into making a voice note that said she had consented to sex.
