A 67-year-old predator from Hanwell who pretended to be a Hammersmith taxi driver before locking a woman in his car and raping her has been jailed.

Keith Gillings, of Hanway Road, was jailed for life at Harrow Crown Court on Friday (May 25) for life imprisonment for rape, with the minimum to serve at least nine years.

On July 25 last year, the 47-year-old victim was drinking with friends in Hammersmith. At around 11pm, she left the pub and got into a car she thought was her taxi.

The court heard Gillings, who was driving the car, took the victim to her home where she collected money and asked the driver to take her to a local shop to get some tobacco.

A little while later she realised the driver was not going in the right direction and, when questioned, Gillings told the victim he knew a different shop that would still be open.

As the car approached traffic lights and slowed down, the victim tried to get out of the car, which was locked. Gillings then grabbed her wrists to stop her getting out.

He took her to a block of flats and dragged her into a second-floor flat, where he raped her twice.

After the attack, the victim managed to escape from the flat and run away. Gillings “gave chase but could not catch her”, a police spokesman said.

Keith Gillings was jailed at Harrow Crown Court

The 67-year-old was arrested and then charged with two counts of rape on August 4 last year. He was sentenced at Harrow Crown Court on Friday (May 25).

Speaking after the sentencing, detective sergeant Trevor Struthes, from Met Police's Child Abuse and Sexual Offences unit said Gillings is a “violent and depraved man”.

He said: “Officers carried out a thorough and in-depth investigation which brought a violent and depraved man to justice. They worked tirelessly to support the victim through this ordeal and got her the best possible result when they arrested and charged Gillings.

“He will be spending nearly the remainder of his life behind bars, where he will not be able to attack and harm any other woman again.”