Essex teenager jailed for raping girl at Romford train station
Five-year sentence following conviction and restraining orders
An 18-year-old from Essex has been sentenced to five years in jail for raping a teenage girl at Romford train station.
Tommi Harwood, from Andersons in Stanford-le-Hope, was convicted of rape after a five-day trial and sentenced on 9th October at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
The attack occurred on 5th September 2024 when Harwood, then 16, arranged via Snapchat to meet the 16-year-old victim at Romford station, introducing himself as "Bobby."
After meeting her on the platform, he led her to a waiting room and subsequently the women’s toilets, where the assault took place.
Following the attack, Harwood instructed the victim to flee if police appeared.
Despite initial difficulty in locating him, British Transport Police (BTP) officers apprehended Harwood at Basildon station on 25th October, after he was stopped for travelling without a valid ticket.
Expert detectives from the BTP Major, Serious and Organised Crime team conducted a thorough investigation, aided by the victim's detailed account, forensic evidence, and CCTV footage, leading the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to authorise the rape charge.
Harwood received not only the five-year prison sentence but also an indefinite restraining order and an eight-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
BTP Detective Constable Ross McAlpine praised the victim's courage during the investigation and court proceedings, stating, "Harwood’s attack was premeditated and frankly abhorrent."