Eritrean man raped pensioner outside church in 20-minute horror attack
The 33-year-old claimed he was initially trying to help the elderly victim because he was intoxicated.
A man has been found guilty of raping a pensioner outside a church in north west London.
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Bruke Desalagne, 33, dragged a man in his 60s behind a hoarding at St John’s Church in Harrow, before carrying out the 20-minute-long attack.
Desalagne, from Eritrea, pleaded guilty to raping the victim at around midnight on July 23 last year.
A jury at Harrow Crown Court found Desalagne guilty of rape after viewing CCTV of the prolonged attack, and he will be sentenced in the autumn.
At the time of the prolonged attack, police were called to Station Road following reports of a sexual assault.
The jury heard how traffic and pedestrians passed by unaware of the attack, before a witness saw the incident from her car window and quickly phoned the police.
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The witness partially captured the incident on her phone, which she later handed to police.
Officers rushed to the scene and Desalagne was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and rape.
The 33-year-old, who used an interpreter throughout proceedings, claimed he was initially trying to help the elderly victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, because he was intoxicated.
Every time a member of the public walked by Desalagne would pause the attack, the jury heard.
Speaking about the grim CCTV footage, Simon Shannon, prosecuting, said: “You can see the defendant dragging the heavily intoxicated victim from the bench where he was sitting, and dragged him to the grass area.”
Det Con Luke Revill of the Metropolitan Police said: “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.”