A man who kidnapped a woman in Greenwich with the intent of committing a sexual offence is facing a lengthy prison sentence after admitting the charge at the Old Bailey.
Omoniyi Peter, 38, of Pyramid Close in Northampton, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to kidnapping with intent to commit a sexual offence. The offence dates back to February 16 this year, when he seized his victim in Greenwich.
Peter had initially denied the charges against him, but changed his plea ahead of Tuesday’s hearing. He was brought from prison to the Central Criminal Court expecting to be sentenced there and then. Instead, Judge Lynn Tayton adjourned the case until January, when he will learn the length of his sentence.
Addressing Peter in the dock, the judge left him in no doubt that custody was inevitable. “This is a serious offence, it not only crosses the custody threshold,” she said — a clear signal that the only question remaining is how long he will spend behind bars.
How the case unfolded
The case has moved swiftly since the February incident. Following his arrest, Peter — originally from Nigeria and now living in Northampton — denied the allegations. His change of plea means his victim has been spared the ordeal of giving evidence at a trial.
Before a sentence of this gravity can be passed, the court will typically order pre-sentence reports from the Probation Service and may hear a victim personal statement describing the impact of the offending. Such steps are standard in serious sexual-offence cases and are the reason judges often put sentencing back even after a guilty plea.
Peter was remanded in custody after Tuesday’s hearing and will return to the Old Bailey in January.
Kidnapping with intent to commit a sexual offence is among the gravest charges that can be brought before a criminal court in England and Wales. The courts treat the combination of abduction and sexual motive with particular severity, and offenders routinely receive substantial custodial terms. While a guilty plea is normally reflected in the sentence, the starting point for offending of this seriousness remains a lengthy period in prison.
Police focus on violence against women
The case lands amid the Metropolitan Police’s continued drive against violence towards women and girls across the capital. Officers have repeatedly urged anyone who has suffered sexual violence — or who holds information about such offences — to come forward, stressing that reports are handled by specially trained officers and taken seriously.
It follows a string of recent sexual-offence prosecutions in London, including the case of an East London predator jailed for five years for grooming and assaulting a 14-year-old girl he targeted on Snapchat. Police across south-east London have also been stretched in recent weeks — officers foiled a TikTok-fuelled plan to raid a Tesco Extra in Woolwich after spotting the plot on social media.
The Old Bailey, meanwhile, continues to hear the capital’s most serious criminal cases, among them the trial over the death of Michaela Boor, the 29-year-old mother killed by falling bricks on the Bow school run.
Where to get support
If you have been affected by sexual violence, help is available:
- Rape Crisis England & Wales — 24-hour helpline on 0808 500 2222, with live chat and local services at rapecrisis.org.uk.
- Victim Support — free, confidential support on 0808 168 9111 or at victimsupport.org.uk.
- Samaritans — 116 123, free to call at any hour, or samaritans.org.
- The police — call 101 to report a crime, 999 in an emergency, or report online.
The guilty plea brings the criminal proceedings to the brink of conclusion, with only the January sentencing hearing left to determine how long Peter will remain behind bars. Until then he stays in custody — a small measure of reassurance, perhaps, for a community shaken by what happened in Greenwich in February.
Peter’s sentencing in January is expected to conclude the case.
