HARROW OFFENDER SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR RAPES AND ATTEMPTED MURDER

A man who repeatedly raped a woman twice and attempted to murder her has received a life sentence in prison.According to reports, Aaron Murphy, 21, of no fixed address, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court on Friday, August 14.Police responded to Havelock Place, Harrow, on May 21 at 2.54am following reports of a disturbance. When officers arrived, they found a woman visibly distressed with serious injuries, who reported she had been raped and beaten by a stranger in the street.London Ambulance Service also attended, and the victim was taken to hospital. Public Protection detectives from the North West command unit launched an investigation, and the victim was supported by specialist officers throughout.During the crime scene investigation, members of the public alerted police to a man acting suspiciously. Officers tracked down Murphy, who was hiding on a fire escape in a nearby block of flats, and arrested him on suspicion of rape.In his police interview, Murphy admitted to intending to kill the victim after raping her twice, which he did violently before running away when police sirens approached. CCTV footage confirmed Murphy's actions, showing him dragging the woman into a nearby underground car park.The victim sustained severe injuries, including a fractured cheekbone, swollen and bruised eyes, bruising across her face and neck, and scraped knees.Murphy pleaded guilty on May 22 to two counts of rape and attempted murder at the Central Criminal Court. He was deemed a dangerous offender and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 9 years. Additionally, he will be on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.Detective Sergeant Michael Daly commented that Murphy is very dangerous, and prison is the only appropriate place for him. The judge reinforced this by stating that no other sentence would adequately protect the public from Murphy. DS Daly also commended the public’s help in identifying Murphy and the effort of the investigation team.Meanwhile, Commander Melanie Dales from the Met Police’s Public Protection unit acknowledged the bravery of the survivor and encouraged victims to come forward, emphasizing that the police take such cases very seriously and will work closely with the CPS to pursue justice.