Back in 2020, Khaled Argoub, a Tooting Rapist, who attempted to attribute the assault to a fictitious identical twin, was sentenced to 22 years in prison.
Khaled Argoub, 21, pursued a woman from a tube station and forcibly brought her into a secluded park, where he strangled her until she lost consciousness and thereafter sexually abused her.
He received a sentence at Kingston Crown Court on 17 September after being convicted of two charges of attempted rape.
He was convicted of attempted strangulation with purpose, assault by penetration, and three counts of sexual assault.
Khaled Argoub received a prolonged term of 22 years for attempted rape, with additional sentences of nine and ten years to be served concurrently.
He will spend fourteen of those in detention. He will be eligible for parole after completing two-thirds of the 14-year sentence.
The victim, a woman in her twenties whose identity is protected for legal reasons, was returning home following an evening with friends in Colliers Wood, south-west London.
CCTV footage shown at the trial depicted Khaled Argoub trailing her from the night tube, via Colliers Wood High Street, before entering a residential street at approximately 3 am.
As the victim progressed down the street, she observed Khaled Argoub positioned in the centre of the road, ‘smirking’ at her, as she subsequently recounted.
The assailant thereafter approached the girl, seized her, and forcibly pulled her into Wandle Park.
He seized her from behind, encircling her neck with his arm, asphyxiating her before to an attempted sexual assault. He additionally perpetrated sexual assault against her.
The victim bit his hand, which was obstructing her mouth, enabling her to flee to a nearby flat complex until authorities came shortly thereafter.
The victim was transported to the hospital, where she had considerable lacerations and abrasions on her body, along with erythema on her neck.
Her voice was raspy due to the strangulation, and she found it difficult to articulate.
A search for the suspect was executed utilising a helicopter and canine assistance, although no evidence of the defendant was found.
Authorities discovered a baseball cap featuring a ‘B’ emblem at the location.
Officers discovered a man fitting Khaled Argoub wearing a baseball cap on CCTV, which was found at the scene of the crime.
Twelve minutes after the attack, Khaled Argoub is seen re-entering the station heading towards Tooting Broadway and is no longer wearing the baseball cap.
A nail clipping was taken from the victim at the hospital, which contained a partial DNA profile for Khaled Argoub.
He was arrested at 0.45 am on 24 August and charged later that day.
Kingston Crown Court heard how, during a police interview on 26 August, he had attempted to blame the attack on his imaginary twin brother.
Prosecutor Charlotte Newell said: ‘He claimed to have a twin but did not know when he had last seen him or contacted him.
‘This is, of course, in contradiction to his telling his housemate that he had no family in the UK.
‘He said he got around London by following people because he is an animal, and that he didn’t know the Colliers Wood area, but his brother might.
‘He said that he could not remember where he was on the evening of 10 August, but probably in bed sleeping.
‘He was shown CCTV stills of the male at South Wimbledon and Colliers Wood but denied it was him and maintained that it could be his twin brother.’
Detective Constable Faye Castleman, the officer in charge of the investigation, said: ‘On behalf of the victim and her family, I am pleased that justice has been served, and I hope that this sentence can bring some closure for them.
‘The victim was immensely brave throughout the investigation, and I highly commend her courage.
‘This case also recognises the importance of forensics in helping to identify offenders.
‘We take these cases very seriously and I would encourage anyone who has been through a similar experience to come forward and report it to us in confidence.’
If you or anyone you know has been affected by the people highlighted on this website, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report to Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.