Marodza: Pleaded guilty
A trainee solicitor who admitted multiple offences, including rape, committed in quick succession against two women in July 2019 was jailed last week for 14 years.
Wilfred Marodza, 28, of Eastbourne was easily identified by the police because he left his rucksack containing his work identification from Cripps Pemberton Greenish, where he worked in the London office, at one of the scenes.
Marodza first struck when he approached a 21-year-old woman, walking home on in central London at around 2.30am on Saturday 20 July 2019, from behind and marched her to a nearby wooded area. She was then threatened and raped multiple times.
Edward Lucas, prosecuting, said Marodza had been out with some friends and was described by the door staff at the sports bar where he had been drinking as “having an attitude and harassing people and random females described unwanted sexual advances before asking for numbers, grabbing bottoms, gripping arms and boasting how much money he earned that week”.
The first victim said she believed he was going to kill her as he said “I’m going to have to bury you now”.
Mr Lucas said: “She was able to recall the defendant arguing with himself saying ‘I don’t want to do this’ and was somehow angry with himself.”
She managed to escape and, fearing for her life, ran naked to a nearby street. A passing motorist stopped and when challenged, Marodza claimed that he and the victim were having a domestic argument. The victim got into the car and was taken to a local police station.
Just an hour later, a 25-year-old woman was waiting at a bus stop in Borough High Street and was approached by Marodza, who began speaking to her before offering himself as an escort to a nearby cab office.
As they walked along together, the woman was grabbed by Marodza and pulled into a side street where she was threatened and pushed to the ground. When she managed to scream, he fled the scene.
Marodza, who was in London on a work trip, was arrested at his family home in Eastbourne the same day.
Mobile phone and CCTV evidence linked him to the offences and when interviewed, he answered “no comment” throughout.
Marodza pleaded guilty to four counts of rape in relation to the first victim and an additional count of kidnap; he admitted one count of kidnap and one count of committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence against the second victim.
He pleaded not guilty to one count of kidnap in relation to the first victim – this was left to lie on file.
Detective Sergeant Jonny Norman from the South Central Command Unit said: “I would like to recognise the dignity and courage of both women who were subjected to horrifying ordeals after having the dreadful misfortune of being targeted by Marodza.
“He is a dangerous predator who took sinister advantage of being in London to violently attack two women.
“Both were left in fear of their lives and he will now serve a substantial amount of time behind bars, where he can bring no further harm to women.
“I would like to thank the investigative team whose excellent policing work quickly led to Marodza’s arrest. While recognising that this sentencing will not compensate for being violently attacked and a lifetime of dealing with the psychological impact of such an ordeal, I hope both women feel that justice has been done.”
Marodza will remain on the sex offenders register for life.
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