Sunday, 4 April 2021

Selfie Rapist Convicted

A lone predator, who took advantage of a drunken woman in a west London park, has been convicted of raping and sexually assaulting her.

The victim, aged in her late twenties, had been drinking and taking cocaine the night before with two friends and ended up in Hitherbroom Park, Hayes.

Thomas Mangar, 36, of nearby Bourne Avenue always fought the charges, but was convicted by an Isleworth Crown Court jury after a four-day trial. 

Now bearded and wearing a turban Mangar looks little like his police custody photograph and will remain behind bars until he is sentenced next month.

Prosecutor Ross Cohen told the jury the victim fell into Mangar's clutches in the early hours of May 12, last year and she was captured on CCTV.

This was the last time she could have been rescued,” he explained. “The defendant took her to a local park out of view of any witnesses and CCTV.

This is where the offences took place.

The complainant was not able to remember anything about the night before, about arriving at a hotel and getting stuck into drink and drugs.

She woke up with the defendant on top of her, having sex with her. She remembers her bra was undone and her underwear had gone missing.

She says she shouted and screamed at her attacker and recalls public in the park were alerted and and her attacker got off of her and moved away.”

The witness was described as being “scared” and heard the woman tell the man later identified as Mangar: “F*** off. Get away.”

Another witness meditating in the sunshine saw the woman pulling her trousers up while a man knelt beside her.

The witness saw her push the man and strike him around the head,” explained Mr Cohen. “She started crying, saying: 'I don't know where I am.'

The woman then accused one of the witnesses of standing aside and watching her being raped.

She was extremely upset and very angry.”

Mangar was seen “hanging around” and was followed by a park user before breaking into a run.

When the witness caught up with him Mangar claimed he thought the man was a “black robber” targeting him.

Mangar claimed there were four black men in the bushes near the woman, who he thought was having a heart attack and when he offered her water she told him to “fuck off”.

The woman called 999 and told police she had been raped.

Four days later, the witness spotted Mangar again within the vicinity of the park and called police who arrested him.

Photographic evidence was found on Mangar's phone, including thumbs-up selfies taken by him and of the victim lying down, exposed and in an unconscious state. 

During the trial, the jury also heard that DNA evidence from a condom was recovered from the scene – it carried the profile of Mangar. 

There was also the profile of the victim found on a discarded and torn condom wrapper nearby.

Detective Constable Alan Wong, the investigating officer, said: “Mangar carried out an audacious attack on a vulnerable female in broad daylight whilst she was unconscious with no capacity to consent or defend herself until she remembered his breathing woke her up and him on top of her. 

Thankfully, a member of the public witnessed part of the incident and called the police.

"Although Mangar fled the scene he was identified four days later by the same member of public and this time the police arrested Mangar and a thorough investigation ensued with a tremendous team effort of the West Area Sapphire Team.

"The victim in this case has shown tremendous strength and courage to engage with the police; her evidence and that of the male witness were vital in ensuring a dangerous individual has been brought to justice.

"We are pleased to have secured this verdict which will, I hope, give the victim some measure of comfort and closure as well as encourage other victims of sexual assault to come forward to police and be assured that we will thoroughly investigate.”

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