London: Two men were jailed in Britain today
for raping a woman backpacker from New Zealand in a "sustained
and brutal" attack near Queen Elizabeth II's official
residence in London.
The 21-year-old, who was in Britain on a working holiday,
met her attackers, Ismail Acar and Callem Fearnehough, also
both 21, as she travelled home on a night bus after partying
with friends in August last year.
They befriended her, offering her an unidentified drink,
and she accompanied them to St James's Park near Buckingham
Palace, where they took turns to rape her, Southwark Crown
Court in London heard.
Acar, who admitted being the ringleader and raping and
robbing the woman, was jailed for 13 years.
Fearnehough, who lives on the same housing estate in
London as his accomplice, was jailed for 10 years after he was
found guilty of two counts of rape and robbery.
A third man, Dimitri McKenzie-Saunders, was acquitted on
all charges.
The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told
the court: "I can just remember crying and wailing 'please,
please stop'."
She had tried to escape from her attackers, but was
captured, before finally making a successful dash for freedom
when she managed to run to a road and beg passers-by for help.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, October 23, 2009, 23:27