A man has been jailed after attempting to rape a sex worker at knife point at a Marylebone flat.

Antonino Giagu, 58, of Fulham Palace Road, appeared at Southwark Crown Court yesterday (June 1) where he was sentenced to seven years and two months in prison.

He had previously pleaded guilty to attempted rape, causing grievous bodily harm (section 20) and possession of a bladed article.

In the early hours of February 28, Giagu arrived at a flat in Marylebone where he had arranged to meet a 22-year-old sex worker.

When she opened the door he forced her onto a bed and threatened her with a knife, demanding she have sex with him for free.

He held his hands over her mouth to stop her screaming but the victim managed to answer an incoming call on her phone, crying out for help.

Her friend, a 41-year-old man, arrived at the flat within minutes.

Giagu tried to attack the man with the knife but he was unsuccessful.

The man managed to wrestle Giagu out of the flat and onto an external staircase from where he fled.

The police were called and Giagu was arrested nearby and taken into custody. He was charged on March 17 and remanded in custody.

Det Con Lloyd Leech, from the Westminster Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit, led the investigation.

He said: "This was a shocking attack on a woman who was alone and vulnerable. The fact that Giagu arrived at the flat with a knife in his possession strongly suggests it was calculated and pre-meditated.

“His actions that night terrified the victim and her friend. Had it not been for the bravery shown by both of them the outcome could have been even worse.

“We know that assaults, including sexual assaults, on sex workers are significantly under-reported. They deserve justice in the same way as any other victims and I hope this case shows that we will do all we can to get it for them."