'Dangerous' predator who attacked two women in Tottenham jailed after witness tracked him down

Harriet Brewis @HattieBrewis11 September 2019
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A "dangerous" sexual predator has been jailed for attacking two lone women in a north London street.

Mentesnot Cheru, 29, carried out the violent sex attacks on random victims, who were in their 20s, minutes apart on the morning of April 4 in Tottenham.

He was identified thanks to witness Joshua Donka, 20, who was passing in his car and caught Cheru on camera following the first assault.

A month later, Mr Donka spotted the 29-year-old again before following him to his home and calling police.

Mentesnot Cheru, 29, presents a 'very high risk of sexual re-offending', the judge said
Met Police

Cheru pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and a charge of possessing cannabis at an earlier hearing.

He was sentenced to two years and eight months imprisonment on Wednesday, with an extra three years on extended licence.

As he announced his ruling at Wood Green Crown Court, Judge Gregory Perrins told him: "You are plainly and simply a dangerous man."

Cheru must serve at least two-thirds of his sentence and will only be released when the Parole Board deems safe to do so.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

The judge said he had demonstrated "clear misogynistic attitudes towards women" and that he presented "a very high risk of sexual re-offending."

Speaking of the two attacks in Tottenham, Judge Perrins said: "They both involved random attacks on lone women. You deliberately targeted them and saw them as vulnerable women walking alone in the street."

The court heard that his first victim, 20, was on her way to work at around 10.20am when she was attacked by Cheru, who touched her bottom and private parts.

He then called her a "f****** bitch" and punched her five times in the face and shoulder, leaving her "shocked and traumatised", with a swollen eye requiring hospital treatment.

The woman said in a victim impact statement: "I was attacked for no reason. When the attack first happened, I was totally shocked. I couldn't believe someone had attacked me for no reason."

Minutes later, Cheru attacked another woman, 27, in a nearby street.

"I was suddenly slapped hard on my bottom from behind and it was really hard. I immediately turned around to see who had done that to me. He then punched me in the face once," the victim told police.

"I was in shock because I was totally not expecting this to happen."

Mr Donka used his mobile phone to film Cheru, who was holding a tennis racquet as he fled, following the first assault.

The raquet Cheru was carrying at the time of the first attack
Met Police

The 20-year-old, who was driving past when he spotted the assault, chased Cheru but he escaped.

Footage shows the attacker, wearing a red baseball cap, jeans and white trainers, and carrying a black leather rucksack, being knocked to the ground before fleeing.

When Mr Donka recognised Cheru a month later on May 3, he followed him and managed to get an address, prosecutor Sherry Nabijou told the court.

Cheru has a string of previous convictions, including a seven-year jail sentence in 2010 for stabbing a police officer in the back in Croydon.

While serving his sentence, he attacked a prison guard, before being convicted for exposing himself to a toilet cleaner two days after his release in 2016.

Additional reporting by Press Association

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