A homeless addict who intruded into the home of an older woman after she gave him cash on the streets and subjected her to months of “appalling abuse” has been jailed for 28 years.

The 62-year-old woman met homeless Kevin Hawkins outside a Co-op store in Croydon in December 2022 as he begged for money, and “took pity on him”, giving him cash.

Hawkins, then aged 25, showed up at the woman’s home address a couple of weeks later asking for a cup of tea, let himself inside her house – and refused to leave.

While staying at her home against her will, Hawkins subjected the woman to a “campaign” of physical and financial abuse that would last for nine months, a judge sitting at Croydon Crown Court heard on Friday.

The court was also told Hawkins raped the woman numerous times and on one occasion threw boiling water at her.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was rescued after she visited her local bank and a concerned employee noticed her facial injuries, as well as Hawkins waiting outside the building.

Judge Claire Harden-Frost, passing sentence, told the defendant: “The victim of the offences committed by you is and was a vulnerable woman in her 60s, who had the misfortune to encounter you – and the heart to try and help you.

“In return, you raped, assaulted, and abused her, including scolding her with boiling water.

“You took over her home. You used her money.”

The court heard Hawkins, who is diagnosed with schizophrenia, “deliberately and wilfully” took illicit drugs that would eventually worsen his condition, while also failing to take his prescribed medication.

Prosecutor Sophie Shotton told the court the victim had an “isolated life” and did not know Hawkins personally.

“She took pity on him and began providing him with cash,” Ms Shotton said.

“She was not sure how he got to know where she lived, but he was knocking at her door a couple of weeks later and asked for a cup of tea.

“He entered, staying in her house, and would not leave.”

The court heard Hawkins would ask the woman for money on a daily basis and several times a day to pay his drug debts.

He also consumed cocaine in her house, inviting his friends over to do the same.

Hawkins was arrested on August 8 last year after he took the woman to the bank, yet again demanding that she withdrew cash for him.

“She did not want to go as she had been the day before”, Ms Shotton said.

“He then began to physically attack her by hitting her, pulling her hair, and dragging her.

“She felt she had no choice but to go. She was marched up the road by Mr Hawkins, who remained outside the bank.”

The woman was then approached by a bank employee, who had noticed the woman was still in her slippers and had “significant facial injuries”.

Police were called and Hawkins was arrested outside the bank.

He subsequently pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, one count of inflicting grievous bodily harm, three counts of inflicting actual bodily harm, and one count of sexual assault on March 11 this year.

In her victim impact statement to the court, the woman said she suffered “constant insults and physical abuse” at the hands of Hawkins.

“There was no relationship between Mr Hawkins and myself,” she wrote. “I believe he wanted to impress all his mates.”

Assessing Hawkins as “clearly dangerous”, Judge Harden-Frost sentenced the now 26-year-old to an extended sentence of 28 years – with 21 years to be spent in prison, and seven on licence.

He was also made subject to a Sexual Crime Prevention Order for life.

Hawkins, who had been brought to the dock from HMP Thameside, did not react to the sentence.

Before the end of the hearing, Judge Harden-Frost commended bank employee Martina Lee for her actions on the day Hawkins was arrested.

“She is quite clearly a very valuable member of staff, and it is thanks to her actions that the police was able to identify what was going on here,” the judge said.