A Dagenham man has been convicted of raping a teenage girl after stopping to ask her for directions and offering her a ride home.

Taofiq Laguda, 46, of Trefgarne Road, spotted his victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, walking alone when he approached her at around 1.30am on January 24, 2020.

The 18-year-old girl decided to walk home after working at a restaurant in Peckham.

Laguda pulled up beside her, while driving his wife's car, and asked for directions before offering her a lift to Deptford.

She agreed but he then told the girl he could not stop where she wanted and, instead, drove her to a dark and secluded area of an estate in Greenwich.

The victim tried to open the door and told Laguda it was locked, to which he replied “Oh, is it?” before telling her: “Get in the back or I’ll kill you”.

Laguda raped his victim before driving off with her handbag containing her phone and money.

Momata Matin, senior crown Prosecutor with the rape and serious sexual offences unit at CPS London South, said: “This was a terrifying sexual attack on a young victim who had believed she had encountered a good Samaritan on her way home from work.

“Taofiq Laguda lured his teenage victim on the pretext of needing directions and giving her a lift in return. But Laguda was not looking for directions, he was cruising around in his wife’s car, without her permission whilst she was abroad, and hoping to find exactly this type of situation - a lone female in the dark.

“The prosecution case included DNA evidence, strong witness testimony, evidence from number plate recognition and phones to prove Laguda was responsible for the attack.

“During police interview Laguda also claimed that the victim had had consensual sex with him in his car – the jury did not believe his lies.

“Sexual offences are some of the most serious, complex and traumatic crimes. I hope this conviction goes some way in providing a sense of closure to the victim, and encourages other victims of sexual crimes to come forward and see their attackers face justice.”

Laguda was convicted of one count of rape and one count of theft following a trial at Woolwich Crown Court, which concluded on Wednesday (January 27).

He will be sentenced at the same court on February 25.