Man facing deportation assaulted teenagers

A convicted sex attacker, who assaulted two more women after he should have been deported, was jailed today.

Andrew Rowe, 36, put two 18-year-old girls through terrifying ordeals, Southwark Crown Court heard.

The Jamaican musician was first jailed for 18 months in 2000 after he admitted indecently assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Lewisham, south London.

After his release, he should have been removed from the country for overstaying his visa, but he failed to sign the sex offenders' register and remained free to carry out the further attacks in 2005 and again in January this year.

Andrew Copeland, defending Rowe, said he had been arrested on February 3 after police spotted him driving erratically in south London.

Mr Copeland added: "He ran. He was arrested and then the matters that formed the trial fell into place."

Officers found him in possession of cocaine and it was after his arrest that it became known he was wanted for the two sex assaults.

Mr Copeland said Rowe had failed to sign the register because it meant his illegal status would be noticed.

He said: "It wasn't to hide his sexual activities but to avoid deportation from the country."

Judge John Price said in both cases Rowe approached his victims and charmed them, persuading them to get into his car.

He then drove them to empty flats before assaulting them.

He said: "When the girls don't do what you want them to do, you get angry. You get violent with them."

He passed an indeterminate sentence, telling Rowe: "You won't be released until those assessing you think you are safe to be released."

He added that Rowe would not be assessed until at least six years had passed.

Rowe, of no fixed address, was convicted of rape, assault by penetration and attempted rape at an earlier hearing this year.

He had denied all the charges.

He also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, possession of drugs and failure to register as a sex offender.

He was ordered to serve three months concurrently for twice failing to register as a sex offender and disqualified from driving for 12 months.