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https://www.mylondon.news/news/north-london-news/predatory-man-pretended-help-woman-22538858 'Predatory' man pretended to help woman, 19, who cracked her head open on the London Underground before kidnapping and sexually assaulting her Sharif Abbas put on a ‘high vis’ vest to 'give the impression that he was a member of rail staff' By Louise Hall 20:16, 21 DEC 2021 UPDATED20:21, 21 DEC 2021 A man from North London kidnapped and sexually assaulted an injured young woman who cracked her head open during a fall after convincing the victim he was trying to help her. Sharif Abbas, 30, of Nightingale Road, Edmonton, approached a vulnerable 19-year-old woman who had fallen down a set of stairs in a London Underground station in the summer of 2019, a court heard. She had sustained a head injury and a broken wrist after she fell while walking from one platform to another at Bond Street Tube station. The woman was so badly injured that her head was “profusely bleeding” and her skull was “exposed”. After the fall, the woman made her way to a platform and sat down, before Abbas approached her and offered to help her. He led her out of the station and put on a ‘high vis’ vest before scoping out and leading the woman to an empty basement of a nearby building. Abbas told the victim he needed to examine her for injuries, despite having no medical training, at which point he sexually assaulted her. Abbas told police he had been carrying the high-vis vest - which he owned from previous a job during which he would conduct bus passenger surveys - to wear "if he went running" or in case he came across "an accident or something". The victim was taken to a hospital in West London and underwent surgery for a broken wrist and received treatment for a serious head injury. She has since made a full recovery from those physical injuries and no longer lives in the UK. Detective Constable Nigel Pacquette praised the young woman’s “bravery” and “determination” throughout the investigation. “Due to Abbas’s not guilty plea, she was compelled to return to Britain and quarantine in order to take part in the trial process,” Detective Constable Pacquette said. “I applaud her actions to help ensure that other women are spared the perverse attentions of this man.” Speaking of the "sinister" nature of Abbas' crime, Detective Constable Pacquette said: “Abbas was travelling on the Tube network carrying a ‘high vis’ tabard that would give the impression that he was a member of rail staff. “He claimed that he had taken her into the basement in order to check her body for cuts and bruises, after which he was going to help her, yet he stated he had no medical training, nor had he taken any actions to address her significant head wound. “To take advantage of a seriously injured woman, particularly at a time when she required urgent medical attention, is deplorable." Detective Constable Pacquette labelled Abbas' "calculating and predatory", saying that "the verdict is wholly the right outcome to ensure that other women are protected from him." Abbas claimed during police interviews that he tried to call for an ambulance inside the Tube station but couldn’t get a phone signal and falsely claimed that the victim had asked him not to call for an ambulance. He also claimed he had just spoken to a man that would provide bandages and first aid. CCTV revealed no one else was involved in the incident. Detective Constable Pacquette said police appreciate that offenders such as Abbas “will instil fear in many women” and said they were “working hard to remove offenders of this type from our streets.” He urged women to “raise the alarm” if they felt afraid and to “move closer to other people” or dial 999 in order to “ensure that you feel safe and are safe.” Abbas was found guilty of kidnap and sexual assault on Monday (December 20) following a trial at Southwark Crown Court and had been remanded in custody to appear for sentencing in February next year.