Horror as woman bundled into car by masked men, held captive in UK home and raped | UK | News
Gagandeep Singh was sentenced to 34 years in prison. (Image: Metropolitan Police)
The young woman who went to the police after being tortured and raped was praised for her courage, while the evil perpetrator was sentenced to 34 years in prison.
Isleworth Crown Court heard the 24-year-old victim was asked to deliver a bag containing unknown items from Thailand to the UK in June 2024. But the woman refused when she landed at Birmingham Airport. He was then put in a car and driven to London by masked men. When she was dropped off at a house in Hanwell, she was tortured and raped twice, including by Gagandeep Singh.
Singh held him captive for over a day and physically tortured him. The court heard she was punched, beaten, robbed, whipped, burned and raped and threatened not to tell anyone what happened. The 34-year-old man was found guilty of two counts of rape, false imprisonment, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and kidnapping following a trial in February.
The court heard the victim was hesitant to report the brutal crime but, with the support of her mother and Met officers, the young woman managed to bring her attacker to justice.
Today (June 12) Singh, of Heathfield Road, Wandsworth, was sentenced to 34 years in prison, including 28 years in prison followed by a 6-year extended licence, and will not be considered for parole until he serves a minimum term of 18 years (two-thirds of the probation period) and extended licence, at which time he will be deported with no right of re-entry.
The court heard the victim told her mother hours after her release that she had been victimized but could not explain the extent of her ordeal. It would be another six weeks before he felt he could give the officers a full account.
More importantly, the clothes he was wearing when he was attacked were left aside at his home to allow for forensic examination. The results came back with a one-in-a-million positive DNA match for Singh, who was being held for an unrelated crime at the time.
The victim said in a statement at his sentencing: “I never wanted to go to the police. It felt too scary. I thought if I did that I would endanger myself and those around me. It was my mother who never gave up. She believed the right thing to do was to go to the police. She kept my clothes as evidence and kept all my doctor’s notes. She said she couldn’t relax knowing they could do this to others too.”
“At that time, I felt a deep sense of shame. I have always been determined in my decisions and have strong self-confidence, and I didn’t want to lose that.
“My friends and family supported me through everything. They made sure I never lost the strength to keep going, and for that I am truly grateful.
“To everyone who has been the victim of abuse, sexual or otherwise, please remember: We are not the ones who should be ashamed. We survive and continue to live.”
Her mother said: “Firstly, I would like to thank the Metropolitan Police, including DC Seetara Abdul, PC Grace Wilson and PC Destoni Peters, for their support and commitment, as well as the CPS, Chloe from Havens and everyone else who helped and worked so hard to get justice for my daughter, so that she could have closure.
“When I contacted the Metropolitan Police they responded with professionalism and sensitivity and reassured me that I could also report this as a third party. Although my daughter initially did not want to proceed, they took my concerns seriously and proceeded with the investigation due to the seriousness of the offenses. As a family we are grateful for all the support provided. Their actions gave us a sense of closure and we were reassured that a dangerous individual was now off the streets.”
Detective Constable Seetara Abdul, of the North West Rape and Serious Sexual Crime Unit, who led the investigation, said: “The brutality faced by the victim in this case is unimaginable. She showed tremendous courage in coming forward and assisting us in ensuring her attacker faced justice. The level of cruel control left her fearing for her life. Threats were made to silence her, but the support of her mother and the conscientious care taken by the officers investigating the case meant we were able to achieve this.” Capture and charge an extremely dangerous person.
