I reported the toe-sucking pervert who attacked me to the police… and ended up getting arrested myself

A mother has told how she was arrested after reporting a sex offender who sucked her toes to police – while the depraved sex offender roamed the streets for nearly two years without being caught.

Helen Ingham, 48, called the police and reported that she had become a victim of hotel manager Ahmed Fahmy's (45) reign of terror against women, which had lasted for more than 15 years.

But investigators missed the chance to arrest him and instead handcuffed Ms Ingham. When she became angry that her allegations were not being taken seriously, they locked her in a cell overnight.

The perverted Fahmy was released and was not brought to trial until almost two years later, when two more women reported that he had raped or sexually abused them in another hotel.

Police subsequently contacted Ms Ingham to obtain a statement. During a two-week court hearing, it was revealed that he had raped one woman and sexually assaulted another in a hotel in January 2024 – 22 months after the attack on Ms Ingham.

The pervert Ahmed Fahmy (pictured) was released and was not brought to trial until almost two years later, when two other women reported that he had raped or sexually abused them in another hotel.

He was found guilty of sexually abusing Ms Ingham and another woman years earlier in 2008.

Mrs Ingham, from Warrington in Cheshire, said: “The police have let me down and that worries me more than what this man has done.”

“They contacted me years later to talk to me about what he had done to me – but when I told them at the time, they ignored me.”

“I tried to tell the police that he would reoffend, but they didn't listen – the rape could have been prevented, but instead they arrested me.”

Ms Ingham, who waived her right to anonymity, said she was staying at an upscale “yacht hotel” after a Stormzy concert when she was attacked.

The waitress immediately called the police, but claimed they did not take her seriously, did not take a statement, and did not arrest Fahmy for the March 2022 attack.

Instead, after becoming agitated and abusive because officers seemed disinterested in her assault allegations, she was arrested and locked in a cell for the night.

Following the incident, Ms Ingham initially decided not to pursue the allegation further due to the manner in which she had been treated and no further action was taken.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the wider investigation included a review of the conduct of two police officers who were involved in the incident and that both remain under investigation.

Ms Ingham, who waived her right to anonymity, said she was staying at an upscale “yacht hotel” after a Stormzy concert when she was attacked

Ms Ingham and her daughter Rheanna Talmage, 23, arrived at the Sunborn Yacht Hotel at Victoria Dock in east London in the early hours of March 30, 2022.

The couple had spent around £500 on two nights in the “yacht hotel” built into a decommissioned superyacht for Mrs Ingham’s birthday.

They entered the lobby of the hotel and the then manager Fahmy approached them and escorted them to their room because they had been drinking.

When her daughter went downstairs to smoke a cigarette, Mrs Ingham was sexually assaulted by the twisted Fahmy after she sat on her bed.

She said: “He let us into our room and I found it strange when he came in with us.”

“I was sitting on the bed with my socks and shoes off and thought he was going to leave.

“But he sat at the foot of the bed, pulled my foot off the bed and put my big toe in his mouth.

“I yelled at him to get out of the room and then I went to look for my daughter in case he went to look for her.”

In his first offence in 2008, he attacked a woman who lived in a flat near a Hilton hotel in Watford (pictured), where he was a manager.

“When we tried to get back in, our cards didn't work because he had locked us out.”

“Like a normal person, I called the police to report the incident.

“I was drunk and swearing when they arrived because I was angry about what he had done to me.”

Ms Ingham claims that officers asked Fahmy: “What should we do with her?” to which he replied: “Take her away.”

She said that instead of recording her statement, she was “caught.”

She said there was a physical altercation and she was arrested and taken to the police station.

Mrs Ingham said her daughter was “dropped off at a train station” and had to walk home alone and spent a night in the cell.

She said: “They did not investigate my claim at the time – they were not interested in what happened to me.”

She was contacted in January this year – when Fahmy was due to appear in court for several other sexual offences, including the rape of a woman.

In his first offence in 2008, he attacked a woman who lived in a flat near a Hilton hotel in Watford, where he was a manager, Hendon Magistrates Court heard.

Some of the crimes took place at the Anchor Guest House in Golders Green, where Fahmy lived

He was also convicted of raping a woman and sexually assaulting another person on 20 January 2024 at the Anchor Guest Hotel in Golders Green.

There were four women staying in the hotel where he worked. One of them was woken up to find him standing in her bedroom, licking her foot.

The next morning he met another woman in the hotel, dragged her into his bedroom and raped her.

On 25 July he was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault at Hendon Magistrates' Court; sentencing will be announced in September.

Ms Ingham filed a complaint with the Metropolitan Police against the two officers present and police said they were continuing to investigate both.

Investigators believe that other victims may have come forward and urge them to do so immediately.

Ms Ingham said: “That night I felt like anyone could do anything to me and I would be the one in trouble.”

“I reported a crime and was arrested – if you can’t trust the police, who can you trust?

“His later crimes could have been avoided if the police had listened to me.”

Fahmy attacked Ms Ingham at the Sunborn Yacht Hotel in London

“The police waited for a crime to happen when they could have prevented it.”

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “The investigation into Ahmed Fahmy was led by a team of experienced detectives specialising in solving sexual crimes and supporting victims.”

“As part of their investigation into a rape case, these detectives specifically attempted to identify any previous crimes with which Fahmy was associated.”

“One of these was an incident at the Sunborn Yacht Hotel in Western Gateway E16 on March 30, 2022.

“That night, police were called by a woman who claimed she had been sexually assaulted by a man in the hotel.”

“Officers responded and spoke to the woman and man. The woman was arrested on suspicion of racially motivated public disorder and assault on an emergency worker. The man was not arrested.”

“The woman was questioned in custody and it was later decided that no further action would be taken against her.”

“No further action was taken in relation to the alleged sexual offence after the woman decided she did not wish to pursue the allegation further.”

“When officers investigating the rape allegation contacted the victim of this incident, she agreed to assist the police. Her support, along with that of all the other victims, was crucial to Fahmy's conviction.

“The broader investigation also led to a review of the actions of two officers who responded to the incident. Both remain under investigation.”

“Combating violence against women and girls is a top priority across the Metropolitan Police Department. We are doing more to support communities and people whose trust has been broken by focusing on protecting women and girls from violence and targeting predatory men who commit such crimes.”

“As part of the new Met for London, the Met is providing specialised support to victims and survivors and is committed to involving them in the decision-making process throughout the investigation.”