A man who carried out a string of sexual assaults on women in a Paddington underpass was caught by police trying to flee the country.

Hasan Mhd Fayez Alkhabbaz was stopped trying to board a flight to Egypt from Heathrow just days before he was due to appear at Southwark Crown Court .

On Friday (November 10) he was sentenced to 16 months in prison at the same court after admitting to six counts of sexual assault.

He had already been convicted of an sexual assault earlier in the year, with police describing the attacks as “premeditated and predatory” and branded him “a danger to society”.

The 22-year-old, from Fonthill Road in Finsbury Park, targeted lone women during daylight hours walking in the Joe Strummer Subway between October 2016 and March 2017.

Westminster CID had launched an investigation after 10 women reported being sexually assaulted in the pedestrian underpass, which runs under the Edgware Road, the A40 flyover and Marylebone Road.

The women, who were aged between 19 and 29, said they were approached from behind by a man who groped them violently before running back into the subway.

Police linked the offences and an operation was set up to post plain clothes officers in the vicinity during the times of the offences.

Alkhabbaz was stopped by police near the subway on March 7 and arrested on suspicion of sexual assault.

Hasan Mhd Fayez Alkhabbaz targeted women walking alone through a Paddington underpass during daylight hours

His clothing, Oyster card and phone was seized, and he stood in three identity parades, being correctly identified on one occasion, and charged on March 8.

He was remanded in custody for trial and bailed pending further inquiries with regards to the other nine offences.

Analyse of Alkhabbaz’s seized items placed him in close proximity to the scene for the majority of the offences, and a another positive identification soon followed.

At Hammersmith Magistrates’ Court he was convicted on April 24 of sexual assault and given a 22-week sentence suspended for 24 months, a 60-day probation order and placed on the Sex Offender Register.

In July 2017 the Crown Prosecution Service authorised a further six charges of sexual assault and Alkhabbaz was summonsed to Westminster Magistrates’ Court August 14, where he denied all offences.

Alkhabbaz was granted bail with conditions not to apply for any international travel documentation, and told to appear at Southwark Crown Court on September 12.

Arrested at Heathrow

However, on September 8, he was stopped at Heathrow Airport trying to board a plane to Egypt, with a Syrian passport issued on August 21, after he was given conditional bail.

Police say he was trying to flee the country in order to avoid prosecution.

Alkhabbaz subsequently pleaded guilty to all six charges of sexual assault, and sentenced.

Three other offences were discontinued due to insufficient evidence.

'Premeditated and predatory sexual assaults'

The police investigation, was led by PC Jonny Wise of Westminster CID , who said: “Alkhabbaz is a sexual predator who carried out a series of premeditated and predatory sexual assaults on lone women simply going about their daily lives.

“Alkhabbaz has shown complete disregard to the women he assaulted and the fact he offended in daylight hours in a public place, clearly shows the danger he is to society.

“The effect of his actions on the victims has been severe and lasting.”

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