A rapist who sexually assaulted an unconscious woman in broad daylight and took selfies next to her naked body has been jailed for 12 years.
The woman, in her late 20s, awoke in a daze in Hitherbroom Park to find Thomas Mangar, from Hillingdon, west London, raping her around 2.45pm on May 12, last year.
She had met up with two friends the previous evening and although she can recall intending to go home, she had no idea how she came to be in the park the following afternoon.
Mangar, 36, was caught when police found photographic evidence on his phone of him taking selfies with the victim’s unconscious and exposed body, including one with his thumbs up.
He was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday, having been found guilty of the rape in March.
Her Honour Judge Duncan, said: “The witness had to give evidence at the trial over two days.
“During that trial the defendant made several outrageous and false allegations against the witness, who reacted calmly and with impressive composure in extremely difficult circumstances.”
The jury heard that when the woman came around to find a man raping her, she began screaming, which alerted a passerby.
The male witness who heard the woman's screams said he saw her push and hit her attacker and he had a brief conversation with her before he called police.
The witness told officers he had chased and caught up with the attacker who had told him he was trying to help the woman, believing she was having a heart attack.
Four days later, the witness spotted Mangar again near the park and called police.
Detective Sergeant Julian Crabb, from the Met’s safeguarding team, said: “This man is a highly dangerous individual and this sentence reflects this heinous crime.
“The victim has shown tremendous resilience throughout this ordeal, the police investigation and subsequent trial. My thanks goes to the witness and all the officers who relentlessly worked on this case to ensure justice and bring some closure to the victim.
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“Rape, sexual assault and violence will not be tolerated in any form, and I hope this result brings some reassurance to communities.”
The woman explained in an impact statement to the court that that she now feels vulnerable and unsafe, getting flashbacks whenever she walks past a park or a grassy area.
Mangar will spend a further four years on licence, and will remain on the Sex Offender Register for life.
