A man repeatedly hit a woman with a baseball bat while raping her. Simon Tang was convicted of rape at Birmingham Crown Court.

The victim was a sex worker who was assaulted near a car park in Birmingham Street on May 5. She bravely reported the crime to West Midlands Police as she recalled the ordeal she was subjected to.

She told police Tang had retrieved the bat from the boot of his car and repeatedly hit her with it, leaving her with extensive bruising to her legs and head.

She received support through her recovery and investigation by West Midlands Police’s specially trained teams.

Tang, 56, of Weoley Castle Road, Birmingham, was convicted of two counts of rape, possessing an offensive weapon and actual bodily harm.

He will be sentenced on January 30.

DS Morgan Colley, from the investigation team, said:  “I would like to commend the bravery of the woman in this case as without her support we would not have been able to secure a positive outcome at court.

“This man posed a real danger to women and thanks to her, he has now been convicted of his crimes and remanded in custody ahead of sentence.”

West Midlands reminds people that they offer advice and support to anyone who may be impacted.