Carrie Johnson, the wife of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has provided a harrowing account of her encounter with John Worboys, the notorious black cab rapist, who was refused parole this week. The 38-year-old communications director bravely waived her anonymity to help secure Worboys' conviction and has now shared fresh insights into the traumatic event.
The Fateful Night
At just 19 years old, Carrie Symonds, as she was then known, was waiting at a bus stop in Fulham after a night out with friends. Heading back to her family home in Richmond, she was approached by John Worboys in his black cab. Claiming to live in the same direction, he offered her a lift, stating he disliked seeing women alone at night. With only a fiver in cash, Carrie felt lucky to accept what seemed like a kind gesture, unaware of the horror that awaited.
Worboys, who has since changed his name to John Radford, was denied parole for a second time this week. Carrie described the news as "excellent" on social media, admitting it had been a "hugely anxious" time for victims. "The relief I feel knowing that he will remain behind bars is hard to put into words," she wrote.
A Calculated Manipulator
In a revealing article for the Daily Mail, Carrie detailed how Worboys used a familiar pattern: claiming a big win at a casino and offering champagne to celebrate. She accepted the drink but discreetly poured it onto the floor, a move that likely saved her from being drugged. "I even felt a bit sorry for him," she recalled. "Here was this man who had apparently won thousands at a casino and wanted to share a drink with me. Looking back, I realise just how manipulative he was."
Worboys then steered the conversation to sexual topics, asking if she would accept money for sexual favours and suggesting she consider topless modelling. Later, he stopped the cab near Putney Common, claiming he needed to use the toilet, but was gone for nearly ten minutes. Carrie now understands he was waiting for the drugs in the champagne to take effect.
A Wildly Stupid Move
When Worboys returned, he climbed into the back seat with a bottle of vodka. Feeling uneasy, Carrie insisted she had to get home, but under pressure, she drank a shot of vodka after he offered her £50. Confused by why the spiked champagne had no effect, Worboys eventually drove her home. In a critical mistake, he made her write down his phone number.
Once safely inside, Carrie became violently ill, vomiting relentlessly and passing out in the bath, waking at 3pm the next day. She initially attributed her sickness to being unaccustomed to alcohol.
Justice and Advocacy
Months later, a friend alerted Carrie to a newspaper report about a cab driver accused of rape, which mirrored her experience. She contacted the police, and because she had Worboys' phone number and identified him in a lineup, he was successfully convicted. Worboys was jailed in 2009 for 19 sex offences against 12 women, but police estimate he may have attacked over 100.
When Worboys was granted parole in 2017, Carrie waived her anonymity and campaigned alongside other victims to keep him behind bars. The Conservative Justice Secretary at the time, David Gauke, initially declined to challenge the release, but further victims came forward, leading to two additional life sentences with a minimum term of six years.
The ITV series Believe Me dramatises the victims' fight for justice, with actress Miriam Petche portraying Carrie. Speaking about the ordeal, Carrie said she felt "heartbroken" by the system's initial failure to protect victims.
