‘REntAl rApist’ tolD hE CoulD DiE in prison

A man labelled ‘the rental rapist’ who was extradited from Peterborough has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for a series of sexual assaults in Australia. Colin Henderson (65), who lived in Mayor’s Walk in the city, wascalled ‘the rental rapist’ because he chose female victims who were looking to rent rooms. A court in Melbourne heard he had sexually assaultedthreewomenduring the 1980s.

Henderson was jailed for at least 11 years over the rapes of three women at their Melbourne homes between 1981 and 1984.

HewasextraditedfromPeterborough to Australia last year and pleaded guilty to six historical sex charges.

He had mounted a legal challenge to the extradition proceedings on the grounds of ill health, but on Wednesday he was told he could die in prison. Victorian County Court judge Paul Lacava sentenced him to 15 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 11 years. He said: “Your conduct towards each of the three victims was reprehensible, predatoryandplanned.”

Australian detectives reopened the cold cases in 2011 after advances in DNA tech- nology linked Henderson, now 65, to wine glasses he used at the victims’ homes.

The judge said the victims hadbeenattackedintheirown homes and subjected to rapes of the worst kind.

‘This kindof offendingwas every woman’s worst nightmare,’ Judge Lacava said.

Henderson pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated rape, one count of indecent rape, and one count of aggravated rape.

Speaking on a TVprogramme, Liz Henderson said sheknewherformerhusband had a ‘violent past’ but was horrified to hear how serious his offending was. She said he was ‘despicable,’ and the sentence was too lenient.

Liz and Colin Henderson