September 2023

Convicted rapist jailed for life for attacking second woman

A man has been jailed for life for violently raping a 66-year-old woman in west London, 22 months after he was released from prison for raping another woman.

Ramazan Mukalazi – who was born in Uganda – was awaiting deportation when he hit the woman and dragged her into bushes last year.

During the first rape, Mukalazi had grabbed his victim from behind and told her “if you scream I will rip your tongue out” before raping her

He was handed an indeterminate sentence with a minimum term of 48 months in jail for rape in 2009 and recommended for deportation.

Mukalazi was released on licence in September 2018 but recalled in October 2019 for “risky behaviour” – described as making unwanted advances towards a woman at a Cheshire nightclub.

He was later transferred to an immigration detention centre before being released on immigration bail in January 2021.

Mukalazi had previously admitted attempted rape and causing grievous bodily harm for the new offences

The court heard within 22 months of his release from prison on immigration bail, he subjected a 66-year-old woman to a second “ferocious” stranger sex attack after consuming alcohol and cannabis.

A member of the public saw the woman lying injured on the pavement in Martindale Road in Hounslow early on 2 November last year.

Prosecutor Max Hardy told the court Mukalazi was seen crouching down next to her and the passer-by mistakenly thought he was tending to the woman, who was making a “gargling sound”.

Asked if an ambulance should be called, Mukalazi told the man to “go away”.

After calling an ambulance, the man was “shocked” to return to the scene and find the defendant dragging the woman by the feet into an alleyway.

He alerted police and officers found the defendant with his trousers around his ankles and on top of the woman in a garden, the court was told.

The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had serious head wounds and her face was covered in blood.

The court heard the passer-by then alerted police. Officers later found the defendant with his trousers around his ankles on top of the semi-conscious woman, who had suffered serious head injuries including a bleed on the brain.

Following Mukalazi’s arrest, he claimed he found the woman lying on the ground as she had fallen into a wooden fence and on to concrete.

But a medical report concluded she had been hit on the ear, punched in the eye and suffered blows to the head in a violent assault, the court heard.

Appearing at the Old Bailey, he was told to serve a minimum of 11 years.

Sentencing Mukalazi, Judge Paul Dugdale said: “You brutally attacked a 66-year-old woman walking on her own along the street in Hounslow in the darkness of a November morning.

“You attacked her for the sole purpose of raping her, which is what you then attempted to do.

“You pose an ongoing risk that you will rape again and in violent circumstances. In my judgement you are a very dangerous man.”