‘Depraved’ Tube attacker who raped woman as she slept on Piccadilly Line in front of horrified passenger and young child is jailed for nine years

A ‘depraved’ man who raped a woman as she slept on the Piccadilly Line in front of a horrified passenger and her 11-year-old son has been jailed for nine years. 

Just three hours before the horrific attack, Ryan Johnston, 37, chased two women to their home after they saw him masturbating while looking through the window of a house at around 5am near Bounds Green tube station in north London.

Johnston banged on their door and put his hand through the letterbox after the women managed to get inside safely before eventually leaving, British Transport Police said.  

Later on that morning on February 23 2020 he boarded a Piccadilly Line train at Heathrow Terminal Five where he walked through the carriage and approached a young woman who was asleep, the force said. 

He first exposed himself to the woman, who had been out with her friends, before putting his genitals in her hand. 

Ryan Johnston, 37, (pictured) was convicted of rape and sexual assault after attacking a woman on the Piccadilly Line. Yesterday he was jailed for nine years

The ‘depraved’ man attacked a woman on the Piccadilly Line between Hounslow West and Heathrow Terminal 5

Johnston then sexually assaulted and then raped the 20-year-old woman, who was returning home from an evening out with friends, in front of other passengers, the CPS said.

The attack, which happened during a two-stop journey between Hounslow West and the airport, was witnessed by a French national travelling with his 11-year-old son, and they reported the incident to police.

But the incident was not captured on CCTV and officers were unable to identify the victim at the time of the attack, the BTP said.

Johnston was arrested at HMP Brixton – where he was serving time for burglary – in December 2022, after a BTP review of historic rape cases led to his identification.

Detectives also identified the victim in the same month.

The French national was flown over to the UK to testify at the trial, where they helped to rebut Johnston’s claim that he knew the complainant and that she had consented, the CPS said.

A jury found Johnston guilty of all five charges following a two-week trial at Inner London Crown Court in August. He was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Johnston then sexually assaulted and then raped the 20-year-old woman, who was returning home from an evening out with friends, in front of other passengers, the CPS said

Throughout his trial he was described as an ‘abhorrent’ attacker and called a ‘serious danger to women’. 

Yesterday he was put behind bars for nine years, handed a further five on licence, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.  

He was charged with rape, attempted rape and two counts of sexual assault, while he was also charged with outraging public decency in relation to another complainant.

Senior investigating officer, Detective Inspector Paul Attwell of the BTP’s Major, Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: ‘Johnston’s brazen attack in front of witnesses highlights his lack of shame or remorse for his actions, something which continued throughout his trial.

‘I am thankful his violence and despicable actions have been recognised by the guilty verdicts and significant sentence.

‘His depraved actions will have a life-long impact on the victim and those who witnessed this.

‘I am thankful for their bravery throughout this investigation. I hope they can now find some comfort in the fact justice has been served.’

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