MAN GETS 19 YEARS JAIL FOR RAPING WOMAN IN CAPTIVITY

CROYDON, London – Neil Huggins, 38 , who held a woman captive and repeatedly raped and beat her has been sentenced to 19 years jail.

Huggins who lives at Dingwall Road, East Croydon was sentenced today at Croydon Crown Court, London. He was found guilty of seven counts of rape, one count of false imprisonment, one count of sexual assault and one count of actual bodily harm at the same court on Friday 7 April.

At about 22:55hrs on Tuesday 4 October, the 20-year-old victim called police from A&E at a south London hospital and reported that she had been held against her will for a number of days by Huggins at an address in Grove Road, Thornton Heath, where she was beaten and raped on numerous occasions.

The victim told officers that she had gone to the address to see Huggins, whom she knew, on either Friday 23 September or Saturday 24 September when he became angry. Huggins would not let the victim leave the property and he locked the front door so she was trapped inside.

There was no key for the back door and the victim could not get out of the property’s windows. Huggins beat and raped the victim and urinated in her mouth. He whipped her and strangled her with a thick cable wire until she could not breathe.

Huggins told the victim that they would go out on a ‘trial run’ to see if she tried anything when they were out together. On Tuesday, 4 October Huggins took the victim to a hair salon in London Road, Thornton Heath. They went in and Huggins warned her not to speak to anyone.

Huggins spoke to staff and then allowed the victim to speak to staff. She told them she did not want anything and walked out. Now alone, the victim boarded a bus and met a friend in Brixton who then took her to hospital where she called the police. The victim was taken to a Haven and was supported by specialist officers.

Huggins was arrested on Wednesday, 5 October. When interviewed he denied beating the victim or urinating in her mouth and said any sexual activity was with her consent. He also denied false imprisonment stating that the victim could have got out of a window or a gap by the garage door.

He was charged on Thursday, 6 October and he was convicted and sentenced as above.

Detective Sergeant Simon Sherlock, from the Met’s Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: “What Huggins inflicted on the victim demonstrated his total disregard for her as a human being. She was beaten, raped and humiliated on a daily basis for more than a week.

“Huggins has failed to show any remorse for his despicable actions throughout. Huggins’ actions have undoubtedly had a lasting impact on the victim who continues to try to come to terms with what happened.

“This was a truly horrific attack and I must express my admiration for the victim to give evidence that has seen her attacker brought to justice. I can only hope that this sentence can assist in some way in helping her to move forward with her life.”