A man who sexually assaulted a woman in Hackney and then denied it despite texts saying he “knew it was wrong” has been jailed.
Kyle Meredith, 37, of Blenheim Crescent, Notting Hill, was jailed for six years on Wednesday after sexually assaulting a woman in a Hackney flat on April 6, 2019.
The court heard that Meredith was on a night out with friends who had booked an apartment on Hackney Road to stay overnight.
Shortly after the group returned to the apartment at 3am, the victim was woken up by Meredith massaging her feet. She told him to go away and he left the room.
She was then woken again to find Meredith in the bed, kissing her and she again told him to leave.
On the third occasion, he again entered her room, undressed her and carried out a serious sexual assault.
The victim managed to push him out of the room and barricaded herself in with a chest of drawers.
A few hours later she crept out of the apartment, having to leave quietly to avoid Meredith noticing.
She called police four days later. A probe was launched and police quizzed Meredith under caution.
During their interviews, phone analysis showed Meredith had called and texted the victim after carrying out the offences, saying how “sorry” he was and how “he knew it was wrong”.
Despite this, he continued to deny the offences.
PC Abs Shah, who led the investigation, said: “The victim in this case has shown incredible strength and courage. Despite many court delays and cancellations, she has continued to fight for justice and the strength of her evidence is what ultimately led to Meredith’s conviction.
“She has been provided with specialist support throughout this difficult period and I hope this serves as a strong reminder of our clear determination to bringing sex offenders to justice.”
Meredith was convicted of two counts of sexual assault, and cleared on a third count.
