Troy Maurice, 29, lied that he was only looking for somewhere to sit down and relax and listen to music on his headphones when scoping student housing for potential targets.
The second victim was a kept a prisoner in her studio flat for over twelve hours in what police describe as a “harrowing ordeal” as Maurice attempted to “bully” her into having sex with him.
A Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court jury convicted him of of sexually assaulting the two young women in separate incidents on March 27 and April 16.
Maurice, of Beaudesert Road, Handsworth, Birmingham was also convicted on both occasions of trespassing, with intent to commit a sexual offence, and falsely imprisoning the second victim in her studio flat.
The court also ordered he must remain on an extended licence of three years once he is paroled and he must sign the sex offenders register for life.
He even had the audacity to claim the first victim “overreacted” when he crept up behind her and reached for her bra straps and tried to remove her leggings.
The trial heard Maurice struck after entering Cliff House, Claybrook Road, Hammersmith and Fulham Palace Studios, Fulham Palace Road.
A student was doing her laundry in the basement of Cliff House and told the jury Maurice, who she did not know, was down there and crept up behind her.
She said he placed his hands on her back and moved them up to her bra straps and even tried to pull down her leggings, while telling her “shush” and to remain quiet.
However, Maurice tried to lie his way out of the accusation, claiming: “It’s an okay place to hang around for no particular reason, somewhere to sit.
“There’s not many people around there and I was confident I was allowed to go there,” he told the trial. “I would go there to chill out and play some music.
“The laundry is the only place with seats and stuff and she was doing her laundry in front of me.
“She was bending over to pick up her clothes. I thought she was an attractive woman and I would say she was being provocative.
“The way she was bending over and bouncing and what she was wearing was revealing.
“I thought: ‘Maybe she wants me to make a move or something,’ and I was completely unaware she was going to overreact.”
Maurice denied locking the laundry door to prevent the terrified young woman from fleeing and reaching for her bra straps or attempting to remove her leggings.
“I put my hand on her leggings, assuming, I swear to God, she would give me a positive response, which she did at first and then she flipped out.
“She wasn’t having it and I was disappointed. I was 100% sure she was leading me on to make a move.
“She was very upset and after that I shrugged my shoulders and left.”
Three weeks later Maurice followed his second victim into Fulham Palace Studios, where he pushed her into her flat.
He detained her there, deleted information from her phone and attempted to unzip her trousers and touch her breasts.
However, Maurice denied he was a prowler, claiming: “It was socially acceptable for me to go there.
“I was trying to find somewhere to sit down and play music and relax,” he told the jury.
“I asked her if I could charge my phone and she took me to her room.
“She said it was okay for me to sleep there and clean and shower as well.”
Maurice denied piling suitcases against the door to prevent the terrified victim from escaping, insisting: “It was a very positive vibe, I started to like her and she started to like me.
“I knew from her mannerisms she liked me and she was behaving positively.
“First she offered to hug me and was presenting her body to me sexually and that led me to ask if I could be sexual with her.”
Maurice then pleasured himself in front of his disgusted victim.
“She said it was okay, it was sexual role-playing. She was flirting with me and stuff and was giving me energy back.”
The victim’s ordeal lasted into the early hours and when concerned security officers checked in on her Maurice coached her what to say in an attempt to get rid of them.
However, it was obvious something was wrong and the police were called.
“She was scared of the police, not me,” claimed Maurice. “I didn’t think I was going to get arrested.”
Detective Constable Ben Salmon, who led the investigation, said: “Both victims showed considerable courage and bravery following these incidents, which were incredibly frightening for them both.
“Maurice’s behaviour was cold and calculated and I believe the public will be all the safer with him behind bars.”
No comments:
Post a Comment