A predator who targeted a sleeping woman on the Tube and then sexually assaulted her on street has been jailed.
Salman Yousaf, 43, of Woodgrange Road in Forest Gate, has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years after being found guilty of sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault.
Snaresbrook Crown Court heard that on April 29, 2023, the woman was alone on the London Underground during the early hours after a night out with her friends.
She fell asleep on an empty carriage and Yousaf found her, then led her off the tube before sexually assaulting her near Durban Road in West Ham.
Yousaf was tracked by CCTV from the night of the attack and police determined that he frequently used Forest Gate Railway Station which led to his arrest.
He pleaded not guilty and a trial was set for the week of November 6 last year.
On February 1, he was sentenced to jail and put on the sex offender’s register for life.
The victim said: “If anything like this happens to you do not be afraid to come forward, you will start your healing process once you see justice has been served.
“I am happy to know that he will be off the streets for a long time and unable to hurt anyone else.”
Detective Sergeant Keith Farris, whose team led the investigation said: “Sexual assault has a devastating impact and we are working hard to improve our response to violence against women and girls. We are listening to victim-survivors and working with charities and partners across the criminal justice system as we better our work to eradicate this terrible crime.”
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