by Matt Parker
A man who carried out rapes and sex attacks on two vulnerable women after coaxing them into his car has been jailed.
Delando Smith, 31 from Peckham SE5 appeared at Croydon Crown Court on Thursday, 7 September after being found guilty of three counts of rape, one count of sexual assault by penetration and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.
Smith was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment with a six year extension on licence.
This follows his conviction in August 2016, prior to which he was on remand awaiting trial in relation to a separate allegation of rape for which he was found not guilty on Wednesday, 9 August 2017.
There had been reporting restrictions in place in relation to the first trial which were lifted following the conclusion of the second trial.
Smith carried out his first attack on 17 May 2015. At around 03:30hrs, a 20-year-old woman was in Southwark on her way back from a night out in Peckham. A car pulled up beside her as she waited at a bus stop. The driver – later identified as Delando Smith – engaged her in conversation and said he would give her a lift.
She got into the car and Smith told her to perform a sex act. He then took her to an address and raped her. She reported the attack to police.
