Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

X Factor star Lucy Spraggan's rapist deported to India

Soby John was deported in 2017 and is not permitted to return to the UK

X Factor star Lucy Spraggan's rapist deported to India

THE hotel porter who raped X Factor star, Lucy Spraggan, was deported to India in 2017 after serving four years behind bars, the MailOnline has revealed.

The singer-songwriter was raped by Soby John after a night celebrating fellow contestant Rylan Clark's 25th birthday at the Mayfair nightclub Mahiki in 2012.


In April 2013, John, who had arrived on a student visa from India, received a 10-year prison sentence.

However, MailOnline has now uncovered that he was deported to India on January 30, 2017, having served less than four years in jail for his appalling assault.

According to the report, John is not permitted to return to the UK under deportation conditions.

"Foreign nationals who commit crimes here in the UK will face the full force of the law, including deportation at the earliest opportunity for those eligible," a Home Office spokeswoman told the newspaper, without commenting specifically on John's deportation.

John, then 24 years old, snuck into the hotel room of the 20-year-old singer while she slept, using a staff key card, and viciously attacked her.

Lucy recounted that she lost consciousness and a member of the production team escorted her back to the hotel, where a hotel porter offered assistance in getting her to the room. As they departed, the porter secured the security latch to prevent the door from locking behind them.

Later, Rylan checked on Lucy and ensured her door was properly locked before leaving. However, the porter returned afterward and attacked her, having to use a traceable keycard because the door was locked.

Following the attack, she was prescribed Pep which, if taken within the first 72 hours of having sex, can stop the spread of HIV. However, it left her feeling too ill to continue singing in the show.

The assailant was apprehended and received a 10-year prison sentence in April 2013.

During the court hearing, John's defense barrister argued that it was a "single foolish act" since he had a clean record.

Judge McCreath rejected the defense's claims, acknowledging John's relatively young age and different cultural background but firmly stating that cultural values could not condone non-consensual intercourse with a heavily intoxicated woman.

The singer appeared on BBC Breakfast recently and was overcome with emotions as she recalled X Factor boss Simon Cowell apologising to her after he learned of the attack.

"It makes me emotional because no one else said sorry. And all it took was this one man to treat me like a human being, 11 years later," Spraggan is reported to have said.

Spraggan was given financial and medical support after the horrific incident, but she said she wasn't supported after the trial.

"No one ever contacted me to ask if I was OK. No one called or emailed when the trial was over and he was convicted. No one offered me rehabilitation or ongoing mental health treatment. I was on my own," she said.

More For You

What’s next for Rishi Sunak? From Downing Street to a new mission

Rishi Sunak with Akshata Murty

What’s next for Rishi Sunak? From Downing Street to a new mission

NOW that he has been prime minister, what next for Rishi Sunak?

His wife, Akshata Murty, dropped a hint when she was interviewed along with her mother, Sudha Murty, for the long-running Relative Values slot in the Sunday Times.

Keep ReadingShow less
India slashes income taxes in bid to boost economy

Nirmala Sitharaman holds up a folder with the government of India's logo as she leaves her office to present the annual budget in the parliament, in New Delhi. REUTERS/Altaf Hussain

India slashes income taxes in bid to boost economy

INDIA's finance minister unveiled broad income tax cuts on Saturday (1) as prime minister Narendra Modi's government looks to bolster consumption and perk up a slowing economy.

The world's most populous country is forecast to expand at its slowest pace since the Covid pandemic in the current fiscal year, after growing at more than eight per cent last year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Washington-air-crash-Getty

The collision is the deadliest aviation disaster in the US since 2001. (Photo: Getty Images)

Two Indian-American passengers among victims of Washington air crash

TWO Indian-Americans were among the 67 people killed in a mid-air collision between a US Army helicopter and a jetliner at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, media reports said.

Vikesh Patel, a GE Aerospace engineer, and Asra Hussain Raza, a Washington DC-based consultant, were on board American Airlines flight 5342 when it collided with the Army helicopter while approaching the airport on Wednesday night.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ambanis-Getty

Billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambani with his wife and founder chairperson of the Reliance Foundation Nita Ambani during the wedding reception ceremony of actor Amir Khan's daughter, Ira Khan on January 13, 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)

Ambanis set to acquire minority stake in Hundred’s Oval Invincibles

THE OWNERS of the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Mumbai Indians have reportedly secured a deal to acquire a 49 per cent stake in Oval Invincibles, a franchise in England’s Hundred competition.

Reports on Thursday stated that Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), which owns Mumbai Indians, emerged as the successful bidder.

Keep ReadingShow less
trump-white-house-getty

peaking at a press conference, Trump confirmed that all those aboard both aircraft had died and cited pilot error on the military helicopter as a factor in the crash. (Photo: Getty Images)

Trump blames diversity policies for Washington air collision

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Thursday blamed diversity hiring policies for a mid-air collision between an airliner and a military helicopter over Washington’s Potomac River, which left 67 people dead.

Speaking at a press conference, Trump confirmed that all those aboard both aircraft had died and cited pilot error on the military helicopter as a factor in the crash. However, he focused on diversity policies under former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, claiming they prevented qualified employees from being hired at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Keep ReadingShow less