Brampton man sentenced for kidnapping, attempted kidnapping of two women

A Brampton man received a 2.5-year prison sentence for kidnapping and attempting to kidnap two women within a two-day span in May 2021. Superior Court Justice James Stribopoulos highlighted that Diavion Henningham preyed on women who were alone in public spaces, employing deception before resorting to assault when they did not comply.

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Mr. Henningham grabbed her by the arm and attempted to pull her into the vehicle, before repeatedly telling her to get in. She screamed and f

Stribopoulos stated that both victims feared for their lives during the encounters. The first incident involved Henningham approaching a woman in Mississauga, asking to use her phone. He then offered her a ride, which she accepted. When he drove in the wrong direction, she questioned him. He claimed he needed to go to a friend's house, but when she tried to retrieve her cellphone, he assaulted her. She managed to escape the moving vehicle after another motorist noticed her predicament and called 911.

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Fearing for her safety, she opened the passenger door while the vehicle was moving and tried to escape, screaming for help. Mr. Henningham prevented her from doing so by pulling the door shut and striking her again. Another motorist saw her trying to get out of the moving vehicle with her feet dragging along the roadway and called 911

Despite being arrested and released on an undertaking with conditions after the first incident, Henningham targeted another woman in a North York shopping plaza just two days later. He again asked to use a cellphone and then attempted to pull the woman into a vehicle, repeatedly telling her to get in. She screamed and fought back, and the article text cuts off before detailing the outcome of this second encounter.

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Diavion Henningham targeted two women who were alone in public places and exploited their willingness to help him through deception. Stribopoulos said that when the women didn’t comply, he assaulted them, leaving each woman fearing for her life.