An Eritrean man who entered Britain illegally has been convicted of raping an elderly man beside a north London church, after CCTV captured the attack and showed him repeatedly stopping when people approached.
Bruke Desalagne, 33, was found guilty by a jury at Harrow Crown Court following just over two hours of deliberation. He is due to be sentenced in autumn. The attack happened at around midnight on July 23 last year near St John's Church in Harrow. Prosecutors said Desalagne moved the heavily intoxicated victim from a bench to a grass verge before dragging him behind a "hoarding," or an advertising sign.
Council CCTV captured the assault, which lasted approximately 20 minutes. Cars and a London double-decker bus could be seen passing nearby, while Desalagne reportedly paused whenever pedestrians came close. A woman who witnessed part of the incident from her window contacted police and recorded footage on her phone. Officers arrived within five minutes and found Desalagne beside the church sign, with the victim lying behind it.
During his initial police interview, Desalagne claimed he had been trying to help the victim, whom he described as drunk. After being shown the CCTV footage, he paused the interview, consulted his solicitor and refused to answer further questions. He did not give evidence during the trial and required an interpreter throughout the proceedings. The victim cannot be identified for legal reasons.
Simon Shannon, prosecuting, told jurors: "You can see the defendant dragging the heavily intoxicated victim from the bench where he was sitting, and dragged him to the grass area." Desalagne was described as a "dangerous offender" by Detective Constable Luke Revill of the Metropolitan Police. "Bruke Desalagne is a dangerous offender who targeted a defenceless, vulnerable, elderly man. Thanks to members of the public alerting the police, he was arrested at the scene, charged the following day and remanded by the courts. We are committed to bringing sexual predators like Desalagne to justice. We would urge anyone who has been the victim of similar offending to get in touch with the police. You will be supported and listened to by officers."
Desalagne entered Britain as a clandestine entrant, claimed asylum and was granted Indefinite Leave to Remain in 2022, according to GB News. A Home Office spokeswoman said: "The perpetrator has now been rightly convicted. After sentencing, we will do everything in our power to remove him, and he will be denied all refugee protections."
Bruke Desalagne, 33, was found guilty by a jury at Harrow Crown Court following just over two hours of deliberation. He is due to be sentenced in autumn. The attack happened at around midnight on July 23 last year near St John's Church in Harrow. Prosecutors said Desalagne moved the heavily intoxicated victim from a bench to a grass verge before dragging him behind a "hoarding," or an advertising sign.
Council CCTV captured the assault, which lasted approximately 20 minutes. Cars and a London double-decker bus could be seen passing nearby, while Desalagne reportedly paused whenever pedestrians came close. A woman who witnessed part of the incident from her window contacted police and recorded footage on her phone. Officers arrived within five minutes and found Desalagne beside the church sign, with the victim lying behind it.
During his initial police interview, Desalagne claimed he had been trying to help the victim, whom he described as drunk. After being shown the CCTV footage, he paused the interview, consulted his solicitor and refused to answer further questions. He did not give evidence during the trial and required an interpreter throughout the proceedings. The victim cannot be identified for legal reasons.
Simon Shannon, prosecuting, told jurors: "You can see the defendant dragging the heavily intoxicated victim from the bench where he was sitting, and dragged him to the grass area." Desalagne was described as a "dangerous offender" by Detective Constable Luke Revill of the Metropolitan Police. "Bruke Desalagne is a dangerous offender who targeted a defenceless, vulnerable, elderly man. Thanks to members of the public alerting the police, he was arrested at the scene, charged the following day and remanded by the courts. We are committed to bringing sexual predators like Desalagne to justice. We would urge anyone who has been the victim of similar offending to get in touch with the police. You will be supported and listened to by officers."
Desalagne entered Britain as a clandestine entrant, claimed asylum and was granted Indefinite Leave to Remain in 2022, according to GB News. A Home Office spokeswoman said: "The perpetrator has now been rightly convicted. After sentencing, we will do everything in our power to remove him, and he will be denied all refugee protections."
