T’Shai Bromfield, 24, formerly of Airco Close, Colindale, London, found guilty of rape, and Ryan King, 21, formerly of Thorpe Crescent, Watford, also found guilty of rape and sexual assault by penetration.

They were convicted at St Albans Crown Court on Wednesday 19 May following a week-long trial. Both already have criminal records.
King has already spent six years in prison in 2019 for two knifepoint robberies on delivery drivers in Watford.

The court heard how on the evening of Monday 22 May 2017, Bromfield – who was 19 at the time – and King – who was 17 – were out drinking with a group of young people in Watford, which included the victim.

The young girl aged only 14 at the time, wanted to change her outfit and got into Bromfield’s silver Nissan Primera to do so with privacy.

However, Bromfield – also known by the nickname ‘Chopper’ – and King proceeded to drive the victim to an unknown location in Watford before taking it in turns to rape her inside the vehicle.

Judge Michael Kay QC said the defendants, both have a string of previous convictions, had a “terrible start in life” although it was no excuse for their actions and “horrendous” criminal records.

He added that there has been “no sign of remorse or empathy” with the defendants still deny their charges after their trial.

Detective Constable Ayodeji Afolabi, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Halo team*, investigated the case. He said: “This has been a lengthy and protracted investigation and I firstly want to pay tribute to the courage of the victim in this case, who has had to wait a long time for Bromfield and King to appear in court and face up to what they did.

“Following her ordeal, she bravely confided in someone she trusted and they reported it to police, so we could begin investigating. We pieced the evening together and confirmed that King had purchased alcohol for the group of young people before he and Bromfield preyed on the vulnerable victim, exploiting her for their own sexual gratification.

“By pleading not guilty to their crimes, they forced the victim to be cross-examined in court as part of their trial, which was an incredibly distressing experience for her.

“She has since received specialist support from the Independent Sexual Violence Adviser service to help her process what happened and begin to move forward.

“Bromfield and King’s conviction is one step closer to justice and we now await their sentencing, which is scheduled for Wednesday 23 June.”

The Hertfordshire Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) has its own Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service that offers support to anyone who has experienced sexual violence or sexual abuse, both recent and historic.

Hertfordshire has ISVAs who work with adults, and specialist Young Person ISVAs, who support those aged between 13 and 17.

They support male, female and transgender clients in Hertfordshire. ISVAs can provide sensitive and professional support, and can help victims to access additional services they may need.

Source: Hertfordshire Constabulary