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Man jailed for removing condom during intercourse without consent
A man has been jailed for removing a condom during sex without consent.
According to report, an investigation by the Met’s Public Protection team has resulted in a lengthy sentence for a man who was convicted of a sex offence.
Laurence Rafter, 43 (01.09.81) of Bittacy Hill, Barnet appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, 28 February where he was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment after officers were able to prove that he had removed a condom during sex without consent.
He was convicted at the same court on 18 October 2024 for all offences in a unanimous verdict by the jury. He also pleaded guilty last year to harassment against the same victim.
The court heard that on 15 July 2021, the 32-year-old survivor was contacted by the defendant on a dating app. He posed as a man called “Jay Lincoln” and met the victim at her home address in Islington.
The defendant then proceeded to rape the victim who specifically requested the defendant wear a condom, despite him repeatedly requesting not to wear one.
As he left the address he stated that he was HIV Positive which was later revealed to be a lie. The victim reported the incident to the Met who launched an immediate investigation and supported the victim.
Detectives from the Public Protection Serious Sexual Offences Team were able to identify Rafter through a distinctive tattoo on his arm recorded by police on a previous arrest which matched photos he had sent to the victim in this case.
Enquiries showed the level of pre-planning that Rafter had done to commit his offences, creating an alias, setting up a false address and bank statement, and using a disposable ‘pre-paid’ mobile phone in a bid to avoid police detection.
His false driving licence included a pseudonym and he claimed to live in a prosperous area of London in a multi-million pound house.
In reality, he was employed as an HGV driver and lived in a flat.
The court also heard that the defendant was previously known for sexually predatory behaviour towards women.
In February 2022 he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to malicious communications and threats to disclose a private image relating to two separate victims.
In those cases, he also posed online using an alias, met the women, and subsequently became abusive and threatening towards both women via text messages as well as demanding explicit images.
After appearing in court on Friday, 28 February, Rafter was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He was ordered to serve two-thirds of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Ridley said: “I would like to commend this survivor for the bravery she demonstrated in this case and the evidence she provided. The robust sentence delivered by the judge demonstrates the significant dangerousness that this man poses to women.
“The investigation team carried out an expansive, diligent, and relentless investigation to identify Rafter and secured the evidence to bring him to justice ensuring that the victim was supported throughout.
“Rafter is a predatory offender who exploited social media to facilitate his violent and abusive behaviour.
He devised a fictitious profile posing as a wealthy businessman with multiple businesses around the world in a calculated campaign to violate, threaten, and harm the women he met.”
The Met is putting extra people into specialist Public Protection teams to prioritize this critical work and target offenders, with officers and staff working more closely with partners across London to protect victim-survivors and bring offenders to justice.
Police are aiming to do much more to identify and tackle the most dangerous and prolific perpetrators of Violence Against Women and Girls, identifying high-risk and high-harm locations, and making better use of police powers to protect women and girls from perpetrators.
Credit: Metropolitan Police, UK
The Presidency has dismissed ex- Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his renewed declaration to contest the 2027 presidential election, describing his ambition as a recurring political miscalculation that will end in defeat.
Recall that Atiku, in a recent interview with said the 2027 general election would mark his final attempt at the presidency.
However, the Presidency, speaking through the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, ridiculed the former vice president’s chances, insisting he was likely to “repeat history” and suffer another electoral loss.
Reacting through the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency argued that Atiku’s political trajectory shows a pattern that has repeatedly ended in defeat.
“This Atiku will never learn,” Onanuga said.
He further accused the former vice president of attempting to undermine the informal zoning and rotation understanding between Nigeria’s North and South, which has long influenced presidential politics.
Once again, Abubakar Atiku has put forward a self-serving argument to justify his attempt to disrupt Nigeria’s power rotation arrangement,” Onanuga stated. “In 2023, as a member of the PDP, a party that, like others, practices zoning, Atiku disregarded the established formula and sought to succeed a fellow northerner who had spent eight years in office. His ambition fractured the PDP, leading to his resounding defeat at the polls.”
The Presidency also predicted another electoral loss should Atiku proceed with his 2027 ambition.
“Now, he stands poised to repeat history and face another doom. Another spectacular failure awaits this perennial candidate in the next election,” he added.
Onanuga also referenced Atiku’s recent interview, where the former vice president reiterated his stance on North-South rotation, insisting that the South has held power for longer periods since 1999.
According to him, Atiku’s argument ignored key historical context, particularly the circumstances surrounding the transition following the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, which led to former President Goodluck Jonathan completing the tenure.
“He conveniently overlooks the fact that the North’s shorter tenure was due to the untimely death of President Umaru Yar’Adua, which led to President Jonathan’s succession,” Onanuga said. “This accidental breach does not invalidate the power rotation arrangement between the North and the South.”
Reaffirming the Presidency’s position on zoning, he maintained that the South should retain the presidency through 2027.
Since Buhari completed his eight years, Tinubu too must complete his own. All Atiku needs to do is to bury the thought of running again, as it is still the South’s turn in the 2027 election,” he concluded.
Onanuga also made a remark directed at Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, suggesting he distance himself from speculation linking him to a possible coalition arrangement involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), following Atiku’s renewed political positioning.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has announced plans to reduce its workforce by up to 2,000 roles as it moves to address mounting financial challenges.
The broadcaster said it must cut costs by £500 million within the next two years.
Interim Director-General Rhodri Talfan Davies acknowledged that the planned job losses would be difficult for employees but stressed the need to act quickly to stabilise the organisation’s finances.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Media Show, Davies said the broadcaster would spend the coming months determining how to implement the reductions without undermining essential radio, television and online services relied upon by audiences.
He added that further details on how the restructuring would affect BBC operations would be released later in the year.
Speaking on the announcement, the head of the broadcasting union Bectu, Philippa Childs warned that job losses on such a scale would have serious consequences for both staff and the broadcaster’s future.
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The BBC currently employs around 21,500 full-time equivalent staff.
In an email to staff on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, Davies explained that the organisation is grappling with widening financial gaps due to rising production costs, pressure on licence fee revenue, reduced commercial income and ongoing global economic uncertainty.
Meanwhile, the UK Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, said the BBC, like other institutions, must make tough financial decisions.
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She noted that the broadcaster’s leadership was also exploring commercial opportunities and alternative revenue streams to strengthen its finances.
The restructuring announcement comes ahead of the arrival of incoming Director-General Matt Brittin, a former Google executive, who is set to officially replace departing chief Tim Davie on May 18.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) approved the appointment of Nyesom Wike as a minister in the administration of Bola Tinubu.
Yilwatda made the disclosure on Wednesday during a media chat in Abuja while responding to questions on Wike’s continued membership of the PDP despite serving in an APC-led government.
The APC chairman said Wike’s appointment was not unusual, citing precedents where past administrations appointed opposition figures into key government positions.
He referenced the appointments of Bala Mohammed and Adamu Aliero, who served as ministers of the Federal Capital Territory under previous PDP administrations despite belonging to other parties.
“President Jonathan discovered Bala Mohammed was good enough and brought him from ANPP,” he said.
“Aliero was also appointed by President Yar’Adua from ANPP because of his experience.”
Yilwatda argued that the backlash against Tinubu over Wike’s appointment was unjustified.
“What’s wrong if President Tinubu is doing what two former presidents have done and nobody condemned them?” he asked.
He also pointed to other opposition figures serving in the current administration, including Bianca Ojukwu, noting that criticism appears to be disproportionately focused on Wike.
According to the APC chairman, Wike formally wrote to the PDP’s National Working Committee in 2023 seeking permission to accept the ministerial role.
He said the party granted approval for Wike to serve in the APC-led government.
“Wike wrote the national working committee of PDP before he took the appointment,” Yilwatda said.
“The national working committee of PDP approved that he should come and serve with us.”
Yilwatda maintained that Wike’s role in the Tinubu administration is backed by the PDP, not the APC.
“He is serving with us with the approval of the national working committee of PDP,” he said.
“So, it was PDP that approved that Wike should work with the APC.”
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