Busker raped three women after earlier case dropped

A London street musician who raped three women after charges for a previous attack on a 13-year-old girl were dropped was yesterday given four life sentences.

At the Old Bailey, Judge Forrester told Emmanuel Ekezie that he was a "dangerous rapist" who had now been brought to justice. The judge said: "You are a person of unstable character who is likely to commit further serious offences and you pose a significant danger to the public."

He said Ekezie, 36, of Kennington, south London, had lured the victims to his flat. While initially appearing charming, he then became threatening and occasionally violent.

He met his victims while playing African drums in the West End of London. Three of them were tourists. Police said they believed he could be responsible for more rapes but feared the women had returned to their home countries. The court was told why the case of the first victim, who was 13, was initially dropped.

Ann Curnow QC, for the prosecution, said her allegations and his denial were reported to senior police officers and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). "It was decidedthat she had undoubtedly told untruths," said Ms Curnow.

"It was a case of one against one. Of course, hindsight is a great thing. No one knew that in the following year an American girl would come along and say what happened to her."

Ekezie was found guilty of raping the teenager in May 1997, a dancer from the United States in June 1998, a Lithuanian student in August 2001, and a Japanese student in January 2002.

The teenager at first claimed that Ekezie dragged her back to his flat, Ms Curnow said. "She now acknowledges the dragging part was untrue. She said she was terrified of the repercussions at home from her father."

The girl was truanting from school when she met Ekezie in gardens by the Thames. She went to his house after he offered to show her how to record music. When she refused to have sex, he threatened to break her legs with a hammer and said he did not want to break her face, Ms Curnow said.

After raping the girl, he walked her halfway home, she added. "After intercourse he reverted to being normal. He walked the other three women to Tube stations."

When Ekezie was first arrested and interviewed about the teenager's allegations he said she had followed him to his flat, had started dancing provocatively and said she wanted sex with him.

Ekezie was arrested after the third rape. A detective investigating the case linked it with the others and contacted the CPS. Before investigations were completed, a fourth woman was raped. After this incident, Ekezie was interviewed by police. He said of his victims: "They wanted me. I did not want it, but they had their wicked way with me."