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DNA traps serial rapists who struck 15 years ago

Rashid Razaq
17 Jun 2009


A serial rapist has been jailed for sex attacks he carried out 15 years ago after he was caught through the use of DNA evidence.

Wayne Liddy, 44, was jailed for a total of 12 years at Woolwich Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to the rape of two women and the indecent assault of another in east London in 1992 and 1993.

He was caught by the Met's Sapphire Cold Case unit after being arrested two years ago for a minor offence in Northern Ireland where he was now living.

Liddy's first attack occurred on 17 October 1992 when he assaulted a 35-year-old woman as she was returning home in Forest Gate. The court heard Liddy grabbed her from behind and dragged her into a garage area where he assaulted and raped her. He then stole money from her purse.

In the second case on 19 November 1992, Liddy targeted a 22-year-old woman getting off a train at Manor Park.

The woman was walking home when a balaclava-clad Liddy threatened her and ordered her to undress.

He then forced the woman to perform a sex act while threatening her with violence.

The third offence occurred on 21 March 1993 when a 27-year-old victim was approached by Liddy in an underground car park in Leytonstone.

He dragged her to another area of the car park and raped her, again threatening her with violence during the ordeal.

A police investigation was carried out at the time, but Liddy was not identified as the rapist until November 2007 when he provided a DNA sample after being arrested for criminal damage.
Further forensic work showed DNA matches on each of the three crime scenes.

Reader views (1)

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I hate to say this, but that DNA database doesn't sound too bad after all.

- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, Hants, 17/06/2009 17:05
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