A violent man who made up a twin to use as a scapegoat for the attempted rape he had committed has been jailed for 22 years.

Khaled Argoub, 21, of Garratt Terrace in Tooting, stalked his victim before dragging her to Wandle Park in Colliers Wood where he choked and attempted to rape her.

A distinctive cap left at the scene, his DNA found under the victim’s fingernail and CCTV tracking helped to identify Argoub.

Argoub was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on  September 17 after being found guilty of two counts of attempted rape.

He was given an extended sentence of 22 years for attempted rape, with the other sentences of nine and ten years to run jointly.

Fourteen of those he will spend in custody. Parole will be considered after serving two thirds of the 14 years.

Wandsworth Times:

It was reported that the victim, aged in her 20s, was heading home after a night out with friends.

She boarded the night tube where Argoub followed her.

She was seen leaving Colliers Wood station at around 3.00 am on August 11 2019.

At around 3.30 am, the victim was walking along a quiet street in Colliers Wood when she stopped to take a picture of a fox in the road.

Argoub was in the middle of the road behind her and smiled at her.

He suddenly ran towards the victim, grabbed hold of her and dragged her to the nearby Wandle Park.

He grabbed her from behind with his arm around her neck, chocking her before attempting to rape her. He also sexually assaulted her.

Biting his hand, which was covering her mouth, the victim managed to escape and ran to a nearby block of flats until officers arrived a short time after.

The victim was taken to hospital where she had significant cuts and scratches to her body and reddening to her neck.

Her voice was hoarse from the strangulation and she struggled to speak.

A search was conducted for the suspect, with helicopter and dog support but there was no trace of the defendant.

Argoub was not located that morning, but his cap was found at the scene.

Wandsworth Times:

Following an investigation, DNA testing and CCTV footage, he was arrested at his home address on 0.45am on August 24 2019.

When asked later why he followed people, he said ‘because I’m an animal’.

Previously reported by Wimbledon Times, Argoub pretended not to speak English.

He also initially said he couldn’t remember his name and claimed he had a twin but could not remember his twin’s name.

Detective Constable Faye Castleman said: “On behalf of the victim and her family, I am pleased that justice has been served and I hope that this sentence can bring some closure for them.

"The victim was immensely brave throughout the investigation and I highly commend her courage.

"This was an extensive investigation with numerous officers working together to locate the offender and highlights good proactive police work.

"This case also recognises the importance of forensics in helping to identify offenders.

"We take these cases very seriously and I would encourage anyone who has been through a similar experience to come forward and report it to us in confidence.."