Man guilty of rape in 2019

A man has been convicted of rape after a meticulous investigation by specialist detectives convinced the jury of his guilt.

Samsidi D’Souza-N’Gom, 31 (05.12.93), of Marshall Road, N17 was found guilty of rape at the Old Bailey Court on Wednesday, 19 February.

He will be sentenced at the same court on 21 March.

On Monday, 2 September 2019, the victim, a woman in her 20s at the time of the incident, contacted police to say she had been raped at an address in Osidge Lane, Barnet.

She was supported by specialist officers who immediately launched an investigation, led by detectives from the North West Rape & Serious Sexual Offences team.

On Sunday, 1 September both D’Souza-N’Gom and the victim were out at a bar with a wider group of friends in Hackney. In the early hours of the morning, they returned to D’Souza-N’Gom’s home address.

The victim told police she had been asleep when she was woken up by the defendant raping with her. She tried to fight him off but was unable to do so.

Officers gathered and analysed hours of CCTV to put together a timeline of events. This showed them leaving the venue together before making their way to the taxi office.

Detectives also spoke to a significant number of witnesses who provided further information which assisted with the investigation.

D’Souza-N’Gom denied the allegations and said everything had been consensual.

Detective Constable Alan Wong, who led the investigation, said: “I would like to commend the courage and bravery of the victim, who after enduring a traumatic incident, spoke with officers and found the strength to assist with our enquiries.

“We were also hugely supported by other witnesses who had seen or spent time with the victim and the defendant prior to the offence. Their accounts helped us to provide the jury with a clear chronology of the evening which was central to them reaching a guilty verdict.”

Speaking after the verdict, Detective Inspector Richard Lewsley said: “I hope that this outcome encourages victims of this type of offending to have faith that we take crimes of rape and sexual assault seriously.

“The circumstances of this offence are often not reported because victims feel there will be insufficient evidence to support a prosecution. We are trained to explore allegations in detail and to illicit details to understand what took place.

“I acknowledge this investigation has taken a long time but we are working hard to investigate and achieve positive outcomes for investigations regardless of the length of time that has passed. I thank the victim of this case for her fortitude and resilience in remaining engaged and positive throughout which has allowed us to finally achieve justice for the victim and put a predatory offender is behind bars.”

“We encourage any person who is a victim of rape or sexual assault, regardless of when it occurred, to report it to police. We will treat your allegations seriously, we will listen to you and we will support you throughout the process.”