Pair face jail for rape and robbery

The 17-year-olds, who cannot be named for legal reasons, first pounced on a woman cyclist twice their age as she headed home across Hackney Marshes, east London, last October.

During her brutal ordeal she was first robbed, partially throttled, and had her head smashed repeatedly against the ground. Then, while one of her attackers kept a look-out the other subjected her to a prolonged rape. In the hours that followed they also mugged several other people.

London's Snaresbrook Crown Court heard at an earlier hearing how the crime spree culminated three days later with another vicious attack on a second lone woman.

On this occasion the victim, aged 51, was walking through the Lee Valley nature reserve, when one of the youths grabbed her.

He punched her repeatedly, fracturing her jaw, nose and cheekbone and knocking out several of her teeth. The severely-injured woman was then raped.

The teenagers - one a student, the other unemployed - who are from Leytonstone, east London, variously admitted the offences.

Detective Inspector Stewart Hill, of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said: "The level of violence used by these two individuals has been outrageous, particularly considering they were both just 16 when the offences occurred. The second rape victim in particular was left with horrific injuries.

"These are two dangerous offenders and I'm glad they pleaded guilty and at least spared their victims the trauma of giving evidence in court.

"Many officers worked extremely hard on this case to trace and detain the suspects and I would like to commend their work. I have no doubt the defendants would have gone on to reoffend and the severity of violence used against their victims would have increased."