Subway sex offender who targeted pregnant woman gets jail time extended
14 October 2021, 07:24
A sex offender who targeted a heavily pregnant woman has had his prison time increased.
Ali Husseini's six year and nine month term was deemed unduly lenient after he was convicted of two counts of sexual assault and one attempted sexual assault.
He targeted women on the subway beneath the A12 in Poplar, East London, chasing and attacking them.
In August last year, he followed a 32-year-old woman as she went home from the shops, grabbed her by the throat and sexually assaulted her.
She managed to bite his arm, forcing him to let go and run away.
The next month, he targeted the pregnant woman as she walked back to work through the subway, slapping her from behind and causing her to scream and run from him.
On the following day, he pursued a 20-year-old woman as she walked home from work, holding her against the wall by her throat before touching her.
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He tried to undo her trousers' zip and started to undo his before she screamed, causing him to flee.
Judges found that the 27-year-old's choice of a remote location in which he could lie in wait was an aggravating factor and raised his sentence to nine years behind bars, the Met said.
Detective Constable Charlotte Baghurst, from the force's Specialist Crime Command, added: "Husseini is a violent and dangerous man and it is right that he will serve a longer term in prison for his awful crimes.
"I hope that this will enable these brave victims to feel safer in their communities and get their lives back on track.
"He carried out a number of predatory and prolonged attacks on lone women as they went about their day-to-day business and instilled fear in women and girls for a number of weeks.
"Everybody in the Met is absolutely committed to bringing justice to victims of sexual assault, and to make London a safer city for women and girls.
"Our teams will stop at nothing to investigate allegations and to provide support to victims."
He will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years after he is let out and will be on the sex offenders register for life.
