A man has been convicted after he attacked a woman outside her house, raped her, and forced her to withdraw money so he could take a taxi home.

Michael Carr, 36, of Ballinasloe, the Republic of Ireland, yesterday pleaded guilty to false imprisonment, actual bodily harm, indecent assault and rape.

He was remanded in custody after appearing at the Old Bailey and will be sentenced later this month.

Carr followed a woman home from the Ravenscourt Park station about 11pm on August 17, 2001 and grabbed her as she approached her front door.

After realising her boyfriend was at home, he forced her to Ravenscourt Park and threatened to kill her before indecently assaulting and raping her.

He then led her to a cash machine and made her take out £20 so he could catch a cab home.

The woman escaped when Carr let her go into a 24-hour shop to buy a drink.

Appeals in the press led to Carr being arrested in the Republic of Ireland a week later and he was finally extradited to Britain last week. He had already served time in Ireland on separate offences for which he was originally arrested.

DS Howard Holt, who led the investigation for Operation Sapphire, said it was "a horrendous and completely unprovoked attack by a stranger who subjected the victim to a demeaning and violent sexual assault."

That Carr was caught through media appeals showed how public assistance could be central to a successful police investigation, said DS Holt.

February 1, 2003 17:30