Salem Rekoub followed his victim to hospital after the attack and has now been jailed for 21 years
Salem Rekoub attacked the woman after finding her semi-conscious at a bus stop (Image: Met Police)
A woman was followed to hospital by a migrant Deliveroo rider who had raped her after he initially posed as a concerned passerby, a court was told. Salem Rekoub was captured on CCTV walking through Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and looking into triage rooms after following the ambulance that had taken his victim there.
The 28-year-old had earlier attacked the woman, who is in her 40s, after finding her semi-conscious at a bus stop in West London. Rekoub has now been jailed for 21 years after being convicted by a jury of three counts of rape and two counts of assaulting a female by penetration.
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Isleworth Crown Court was told that the woman had been out with friends before taking a bus home in July 2024.
She got off early because she felt unwell and later passed out at a bus stop, where Rekoub found her.
The court was told he dragged her down a side road in Chelsea “like a rag doll” before finding a gap between parked cars and attacking her.
The assault lasted for 17 minutes, during which the woman drifted in and out of consciousness. She was left with 33 bruises across her body.
Rekoub repeatedly told her: “You need to be quiet.”
Afterwards, he called 999, but prosecutors said he told operators a “pack of lies” about what had happened.
He told a paramedic that the woman had consumed “too much to drink” and later gave police an assumed name while claiming he was simply a concerned passerby.
Rekoub, who was wearing a turquoise delivery uniform, then followed her ambulance to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
CCTV showed him walking through the hospital’s corridors and looking into triage rooms as he tried to locate her.
Rekoub was captured on CCTV walking through Chelsea and Westminster Hospital (Image: Getty)
When a member of staff questioned him, Rekoub replied: “I’m here to find someone.”
The woman was eventually able to tell paramedics what had happened, and Rekoub was arrested nine days later.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, she described the devastating effect the attack had on her life.
She said: “This has destroyed my life and I am not the same person. It has killed me and made me feel worthless. I tried to take my own life because I felt like I could not cope.
“I have been left in a constant state of fear. I couldn’t escape because he told me to be quiet and had his hands around my throat.”
The court was told she has since suffered seizures and spent time in a mental health treatment centre.
Rekoub had arrived in Britain on a tourist visa in 2023 and did not have the right to work in the UK.
His defence told the court he had previously been a promising footballer who came close to selection for the Algerian team before a knee injury ended his career.
A Deliveroo spokesman said: “We are appalled by these truly horrific crimes and our thoughts are with the victims and their families.
“This individual was not a verified rider on our platform, but a criminal who abused our systems to gain access illegally.
“We have since significantly strengthened the measures to control who can access our platform – and continue to invest to combat any abuse.”
Earl Spencer savaged in brutal BBC interview over Diana claims – ‘Where’s the proof?’.TA
Princess Diana’s brother fiercely defended his upcoming book in his first TV interview.
Earl Spencer insists he’s ‘telling the truth’ about Charles claims
Earl Spencer has delivered a scathing blow in his first TV interview since excerpts of his new book about the death of his sister, Princess Diana, were released. In the upcoming book, titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, King Charles III is accused of telling Spencer days after the late Princess of Wales’ death that “we’ll forget her soon enough”, according to quotes from the Daily Mail. On Friday (September 18), the author sat down with Laura Kuenssberg for his first TV interview, in which he insisted he is “telling the truth” about the explosive claims.
He told the broadcaster: “I can tell you here and now those are exactly the words he said. I’ve only ever had two calls on the line with Prince Charles at any stage of my life. I was hyper alert to what he was saying, and those are precisely the words that he said, and I promise that to you now. Genuinely, that is what he said. I don’t hear him saying he didn’t say that.”
Earl Spencer sat down with Laura Kuenssberg for his first TV interview ahead of his upcoming book (Image: BBC)
“He went ballistic, would be the right term. He started really going for my family as a whole in terms of their sense of duty not being adequate enough, and ranted for a while, I have no idea how long, but it was a significant period, and I just listened.
“And then he stopped, and I thought, ‘Ah, now he’s going to pull himself together and say something more appropriate’. And then he said, ‘We’ll forget about her soon enough’.” When he was asked about the “unprecedented” statement from the palace, Charles said: “Well, is he furious?
“Is he furious or is he embarrassed? They’ve sort of smudged that one, haven’t they? They’ve said that recollections may vary.” When Laura pressed him on whether he had the evidence to support his allegations, he added that he had told his family and friends at the time what had been said “because it was so monstrous”.
The bombshell tell-all book is set to hit shelves next week and will reopen the events leading up to and following Diana’s untimely death, written from the perspective of her own Spencer family. Shortly after the excerpt made headlines, a spokesperson from Buckingham Palace issued a strong rebuttal to the claims.
Diana’s brother says Charles ‘went ballistic’ in phone call after her death (Image: BBC)
It read: “While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.” The King, Prince William and Princess Catherine did not make any remarks on the allegations as they carried out royal engagements on Thursday afternoon (September 17).
The Duke of Sussex has also not spoken out about his uncle’s book, and its reflections on his parents’ relationship, when he was asked by reporters while attending the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards in London. Shortly after the interview aired, viewers flocked to social media to share their thoughts online, with one user penning: “Why has the BBC even given Earl Spencer the time of day?
“This book is going to be a best-seller. Money, money, money. Let’s hope all the money made from the book goes to charity.” Another argued: “He’s fighting for his relevance. Silly man,” as a third agreed: “Left it a bit late to come out with this. Does Althorp House need a new roof or something?”
Another chimed in with: “Here we go. His five minutes of being in the spotlight. Making a few bob out of his dead sister. Not a nice man, me thinks.” A fifth quipped: “Someone is desperately trying to plug a book…”