John Worboys appears in court accused of drugging women in sex attack bid

By Henry Vaughan23rd May 2019News EnglandCourts / Justice, London, News England, Sexual Abuse

Taxi driver John Worboys has appeared in court accused of drugging four women in a bid to carry out sex attacks.

Grey-haired Worboys, wearing a grey shirt and glasses, gave his name as John Derek Radford before confirming his date of birth, his nationality as British and that he currently resides in HMP Wakefield.

The 62-year-old sat listening intently to proceedings at Westminster Magistrates’ Court by video-link from Wakefield prison on Thursday, making notes as prosecutor Jonathan Polnay outlined the charges against him.

Worboys faces two counts of administering a stupefying or overpowering drug with intent to commit rape or indecent assault under the Offences Against the Person Act, and two of administering a substance with intent to commit a sexual offence under the Sexual Offences Act.

He did not indicate pleas to the charges, which relate to four women, none of whom can be identified for legal reasons, who made allegations to police in early 2018.

District Judge Michael Snow sent the case to the Old Bailey, where Worboys is next expected to appear by video-link on June 20.

He told Worboys: “At that hearing, the judge will require you to enter your pleas of guilty or not guilty to those charges.”