Life for man who raped two women at gunpoint

A man has been jailed for a minimum of 17 years for robbing and raping two women at gunpoint.

Troy Tomlin, 27, from Portland Road in Birmingham, arranged to meet one of the woman at a flat in the city on 1 June through an escort website.

He pulled a gun on the first woman and demanded cash, then went into the next room and robbed a second woman before raping both of them.

He was sentenced to life after being convicted at Birmingham Crown Court of four rapes, robbery, and possessing an imitation firearm, a knife and cannabis.

At one point during the attack, he held the gun to one of the women's heads as he demanded to see their ID cards.

He told them that he would go to their homes and kill them if anyone told the police.

Both of the women managed to flee from the property and raise the alarm, before Tomlin fled the scene.

He was traced using mobile phone data and was arrested two days later by officers from a police dog unit when he failed to stop in his vehicle in Birmingham.

Following the trial, Det Insp Matt Owen of West Midlands Police said: "This was a horrific and sustained attack on two women, causing both real fear and a significant and lasting impact.

"Tomlin tried to lie his way out of this by suggesting that the sex had been consensual, but they jury was able to see through that."

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