A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment after a Met Police investigation into a series of serious sexual offences, including the rape of a child.
Navroop Singh, 24, of Mellow Lane East, UB4, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 14 years for five charges, including rape. He was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday, 4 July.
Singh was convicted of the attempted rape of a woman in Southall Park, Ealing, on Sunday, 13 October 2024, and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence. The convictions followed a four-day trial in May.
He had previously pleaded guilty to three other offences: possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence, rape of a girl under 13, and assault of a girl under 13 by penetration. These charges relate to the rape of a child in Hayes End Park, Hillingdon, on Wednesday, 23 October 2024.
An investigation was launched after reports of the attempted rape of a woman in her 20s. Police were alerted by the victim, who encountered two off-duty officers near the gates of Southall Park. They accompanied her to the nearest police station. Singh had been sitting on a bench in the park during the early hours, where he waited for a potential victim to walk past. He was carrying an imitation firearm, which he had ordered and assembled, and used it to threaten the victim while he attempted to rape her.
After the report, officers reviewed hours of CCTV footage to identify the suspect. Just days later, a child was raped in a different park on 23 October 2024. Officers linked the offences and secured additional forensic evidence. With increased resources, officers were able to trace Singh to within a few doors of his home address. They carried out leaflet appeals and increased patrols before arresting him on Sunday, 27 October.
Each of the victims has been supported by specialist officers throughout the investigation and court proceedings.
Acting Chief Superintendent Sean Lynch, who leads policing in West Area, said: “I would like to commend the strength of the victim-survivors and their families and thank them for their unwavering bravery in reporting these awful incidents to us. Today’s conviction is testament to the officers’ thorough investigation, which has identified a violent sexual offender and undoubtedly prevented further harm. We are continuing to prioritise tackling violence against women and girls with our increased specialist teams. I hope that the community will find reassurance in our action to put this predator behind bars.”
The Met has made tackling violence against women and girls a priority. Officers are placing hundreds more staff into larger teams, rolling out specialist training, transforming internal culture and using innovative methods, including counter-terrorism tactics, to track down offenders.
Crimes of this nature can be reported online, by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency.
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