A fake taxi driver who raped a woman in Godstone has been sentenced at the Old Bailey to 11 years in prison today (Thursday, 10 July).

Paul Michael Causer, of Barfleur Lane, Deptford, was found guilty last month of the serious sexual assault in Bone Mill Lane, Godstone on 3 August last year.

He picked up his 31-year-old victim from Shoreditch in east London in the early hours of the morning and drove her to the dead end road where he stopped after pretending his vehicle had a problem.

The 39-year-old then forced himself on the victim and after assaulting her, dumped her at the roadside.

Before the trial he admitted three counts of attempted theft after he tried to withdraw hundreds of pounds by using the victim’s bank card while stopping on the journey to Godstone. He received an eight month sentence for the attempted thefts, which run run concurrently with the 11 years for the charge of rape.

The victim has warned others about staying safe on a night out following her ordeal.

"The past year has been a nightmare and I am now grateful it is all over but the message I would like to remind people is not to get into an unlicensed taxi,” she said.

"Despite being aware of the warnings, this was never something that I thought would happen to me. The horror of that night will affect me for the rest of my life.”

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Adele Robertson of the Sexual Offences Investigation Team said: "Paul Causer targeted and abused a vulnerable woman and will rightly face time in prison for this abhorrent crime.

"I hope today’s sentence will go some way to giving the victim closure and allow her to move on with her life.

"Offences of this nature are not always reported to us, which is why we are keen to hear from anyone who has been attacked in similar circumstances to come forward.

"It takes a great deal of courage for victims to talk about what has happened, and they need to feel confident that if they report an offence we can help.

"If you contact us we have dedicated officers who are specially trained to investigate these crimes. They also work closely with partner agencies, including the NHS with whom Surrey Police has a Sexual Assault Referral Centre, which ensures victims are put at the heart of anything we do.”

Anyone who has any concerns or information relating to similar offences can contact Surrey Police on 101 (999 in an emergency), or use the online reporting system found at http://www.surrey.police.uk/ Alternatively the independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555111.