Two men who subjected a homeless woman to a "prolonged and violent" sexual assault have been jailed.

Jake Johnson, 26, and Matthew Bibb, 32, stood trial at Isleworth Crown Court this week where they pled guilty to sexually assaulting a woman in west London four years ago. 

The pair were visiting from Birmingham in November 2018 when they left their hotel on King Street in Hammersmith to buy alcohol and encountered the woman, who was homeless.

They invited her into the hotel to warm up and have a hot drink, which given the weather was cold and wet, the victim was grateful for. But once there Johnson and Bibb subjected her to "horrific, humiliating and degrading sexual abuse" before throwing her out.

In a distressed state the woman fled and reported the attack to the hotel manager and her friends, who helped to detain Johnson and Bibb at the hotel. Police arrived and arrested the pair, who initially denied that the victim had been in the hotel room, or that they had assaulted her.

A "protracted and complex investigation" followed in which specialist police built a case against the suspects with CCTV footage, forensic evidence and witness testimonies. 

King Street in Hammersmith (Credit: Google Maps)

Johnson and Bibb were in June 2021 each charged with two counts of sexual assault by penetration and one count of attempted rape.

At trial, which began on Monday (November 21), Johnson and Bibb initially pleaded not guilty, but changed their pleas to guilty on the third day. They were sentenced to 11 years in jail on same day.

Their attempted rape charges have been left on file.

Detective Constable Carrina Turner said: "Bibb and Johnson subjected the victim – a clearly vulnerable woman - to horrific, humiliating and degrading sexual abuse. They are exactly those predatory and violent sexual offenders who we are committed to taking off our streets.

"I would like to commend the victim for her bravery and composure throughout this lengthy investigation. I know that she is understandably still suffering from the long term effects of such a terrifying ordeal, but hope she can take some comfort in this result and the knowledge her actions have potentially prevented further offences.

"We always treat any allegation of sexual assault seriously and work hard to support and seek justice for the victim. I would urge any victims to speak to us directly or to contact us through a third party support group such as The Havens or London Survivors Gateway. Both offer a 24/7 urgent advice number if you need to speak with someone for the first time. The most important thing is to not suffer in silence."