A 24-year-old man faces a lengthy prison sentence after a jury convicted him of raping and sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman walking home from a night out in Wrexham, North Wales. Court proceedings also revealed a prior attempt to attack another woman.
Gift Oladele, who stands 6ft 4 and goes by “Big Mike,” approached the victim and her friend at the end of their evening. Her friend took a taxi, while the woman walked with Oladele, who said his cousin lived near the football ground. They shared laughs at first, but she soon grew uneasy.
The Woodland Assault
Oladele suddenly covered the woman’s mouth with his hand and dragged her down a secluded path into woods. He struck her six or seven times, tore off her jeans, and raped her while demanding she “moan like you love it.” He claimed to enjoy being “dominant” and told her to “pretend this never happened.”
In her police interview, the victim stated Oladele acted as if she liked it, “justifying it in his head.” She told officers, “It felt as if he had done it before. The way he did things and the way he handled me made it feel like it wasn’t the first time.” She added, “What I went through I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. I was scared for my life,” noting the ordeal left her mentally scarred for life.
She rushed home, woke her parents, and police responded. Officers located her phone, ripped belt, and underwear at the scene.
Defendant’s Defense and Evidence
Oladele, who lives in Manchester but stayed with his cousin in Wrexham, said he was in a relationship after moving to Britain with his mother. He used the name Michael and claimed the woman led him down the path, calling her cunning.
However, searches of his devices uncovered a Google query for “Wrexham rape after club” after the September incident.
Prior Conviction
Oladele, born in Italy to Nigerian parents and running a cleaning business, received a two-year prison term in 2022 for false imprisonment. He grabbed a woman in broad daylight in Middleton, Manchester, but she fought back, screamed, dropped her weight, and escaped after a 30-second struggle before calling 999.
Prosecutor James Coutts described the earlier attack as “a disturbing and terrifying attack upon a lone woman in broad daylight,” labeling Oladele’s actions predatory as he preyed on vulnerable targets.
Oladele maintained the incident lacked predatory intent and insisted he had changed, striving to be a good role model and partner.
Court Verdict and Sentencing
At Mold Crown Court, jurors delivered guilty verdicts on rape and sexual assault last Friday but acquitted him on a second rape charge against the same victim. Judge Simon Mills remanded Oladele in custody for sentencing next month, including a dangerousness assessment. He warned, “I will be passing a long prison sentence upon you. This is a very serious case.”
