Michael Maughan subjected victim to extended ordeal of sexual violence

Michael Maughan. Picture: Met Police

A 27-year-old man has been jailed for subjecting a woman to a long campaign of sexual violence including an attack on her in a Chiswick hotel.

Michael Maughan was jailed for 18 and a half years after pleading guilty to a range of charges including multiple accounts of rape, coercive control and actual bodily harm.

During their relationship he regularly punched, kicked and raped his victim, a vulnerable woman in her twenties then would take her car keys away from her to prevent her leaving.

In 2021 she was staying at hotels in Chiswick and Hammersmith when Maughan visited and attacked and abused her, throwing a chair and a bottle of cough syrup at her. He told her that he would take her to Epping Forest and kill her and raped her several times. She was too terrified of him to resist.

At this point she told a friend what was happening to her and a report was made to Northamptonshire Police. She went into hiding so that neither the police nor Maughan could find her.

In attempt to track her down he visited a beauty salon he knew she attended, threatening and abusing staff when they were unable to tell him the location of his victim causing one person to quit their job for fear he might return.

Police later, acting on a tip about Maughan's whereabouts, visited an address in Haringey where they found both him and his victim being held against her will and in extreme distress.

An investigation gathered such a wealth of evidence against Maughan including CCTV, mobile phone records and witness statements that Maughan had no choice but to plead guilty when charged.

In her summary before sentencing, HHJ Kaul QC said it was a “campaign of the most appalling treatment many in this court may have seen.” She also stated that she found Maughan to be dangerous, particularly in regards to sexual relationships with women.

Detective Superintendent Sharon Brookes, from the West Area Command Unit, said, “It cannot be underestimated just how dangerous an offender Maughan is. What he put the young victim through is utterly appalling – it is something no person should ever have to endure.

“The investigation into him was fast-moving and very complex, drawing on a wealth of skilled and experienced officers across the Met in a united effort to find Maughan and ensure the safety of the young victim.

“My team, in particular Detective Sergeant Ellie Casey and PC Adam Aspinall, were crucial to that effort. They ensured that she was supported throughout the investigation and have fought hard to secure justice for her following her harrowing ordeal. We are incredibly proud of their work.

“I hope she can, in time, move on to the next chapter of her life, safe in the knowledge that Maughan will spend a considerable amount of time behind bars."

Maughan was given 18 and a half years reduced from 24 years due to his guilty plea and other mitigations at Wood Green Crown Court on Thursday, 23 June.

July 1, 2022