Eritrean man, 33, dragged pensioner along fence and behind church then raped him

Published: 23:44, 16 August 2026 | Updated: 23:44, 16 August 2026 An Eritrean man has been found guilty of raping a pensioner outside a church while traffic and pedestrians passed by. Bruke Desalagne, 33, dragged the man behind hoarding at St John's church in Harrow, north London before raping him on a grass verge around midnight on July 23 last year. But a witness spotted the 20-minute attack from her window and called police. CCTV showed cars and a double-decker bus passing close to where Desalagne attacked the pensioner. The defendant, who used an interpreter during the trial, told police in an interview he had been trying to help the victim, who was drunk and cannot be named for legal reasons. But after being shown the footage from a council camera he stopped the interview, spoke with his solicitor and refused to speak further or testify at trial. Desalange had moved the man from a bench to the grassy area outside the church to carry out the assault before officers arrived to find him standing behind the church sign as the victim remained lying behind it. Simon Shannon, prosecuting, told Harrow Crown Court: 'You can see the defendant dragging the heavily intoxicated victim from the bench where he was sitting, and dragging him to the grass area.' An Eritrean man raped a pensioner on the grass verge outside St John's church in Harrow, north London He said the footage showed Desalange pausing the attack whenever a member of the public walked nearby. Bibi Ihuomah, defending, said there was no evidence that the pensioner had been raped and told jurors not to have a 'knee-jerk' reaction. The defendant remained emotionless during the trial and sipped water as the footage was played. Detective constable Luke Revill said Desalange was a 'dangerous offender' who 'targeted a defenceless, vulnerable, elderly man'. 'Thanks to members of the public alerting the police, he was arrested at the scene, charged the following day and remanded by the courts. We are committed to bringing sexual predators like Desalagne to justice. 'We would urge anyone who has been the victim of similar offending to get in touch with the police. You will be supported and listened to by officers.'