Two men jailed after ‘abhorrent’ kidnap and rape of teenage girl

Two men have been jailed after kidnapping and raping a teenage girl.

The 17-year-old victim was groomed and exploited as part of a County Lines operation which ran drugs from London to Ipswich, police said.

Abdul Howe, 22, from Brent, was convicted of two counts of kidnap, seven counts of rape, one count of possession of an item with a blade or point, one count of sexual assault by penetration, one count of false imprisonment, two counts of actual bodily harm and one count of perverting the course of justice.

He received a 20 year and eight month jail sentence at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday.

His friend Ajani Williams, 21, was sentenced to 16 years and four months imprisonment after being convicted of rape and perverting the course of justice at the same court.

Detective Tony Larkin, who led the investigation, said: “The offences committed by these men against a vulnerable teenage girl are abhorrent and her account is one of the most distressing I have ever heard.

“They are extremely dangerous individuals and our city will be safer now they are off our streets.

“The victim in this case has shown incredible bravery, from initially coming forward and reporting what had happened to providing the vital evidence which secured today’s verdicts. We hope this shows how seriously we take allegations of this nature and that we will provide support at every step of the way to ensure justice is served.”