Man jailed for 1980 rape of woman after DNA find
AVIOLENT burglar who raped a pensioner before cutting her phone lines and locking her inside her own home more than 40 years ago was yesterday jailed for 15 years.
As reported by the Western Daily Press last month, advances in DNA technology finally snared Kenneth Wells.
In the early hours of November 6, 1980, Violet Brown, who was 71 and lived alone in her home in Collingbourne Ducis on Salisbury Plain, was woken by the sound of a man breaking into the house and coming into her bedroom.
That man was Kenneth Wells who then raped her before leaving the property and locking her inside.
Ms Brown eventually managed to make her way downstairs, but was unable to get help due to the fact that the phone lines had been cut and the front door locked, so she sat in a chair and waited until morning.
At around 8.20am the postman found her there and alerted her neighbours and the police.
Ms Brown, whose picture has been released with her family’s permission, died in February 1996, at the age of 87, without seeing her attacker brought to justice.
Police said Wells’ “truly despicable crime” understandably took its toll on Ms Brown “who had to live with the memory of this traumatic incident for the rest of her life”.
Wells was arrested shortly after the incident and remained the prime suspect, but there was never enough evidence to lead to a charge.
Wells, now 63, of Verona Road, Salisbury, was arrested in June of this year after officers from the Major Crime Investigation Team reopened the cold case into a horrifying crime which took place back in 1980.
In body-worn video footage of the arrest released by Wiltshire Police yesterday, Wells continued drinking his cup of tea and seemed more concerned about arrangements for his pet dog.
Video footage of him being interviewed at Swindon’s Gablecross Police Station showed him continually answering ‘no comment’ to police questions.
However, Wells appeared at Winchester Crown Court yesterday and was jailed for 15 years after previously pleading guilty to burglary, rape and false imprisonment.
He was also sentenced to an additional six years on licence and it will be ten years before a parole application is considered.
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Darren Hannant, from the Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “There is no doubt that this horrendous attack had a lasting impact on Ms Brown, who had to live with the memory of this traumatic incident for the rest of her life.
“She was never comfortable in her own home after the attack and moved out a short time later. The effect on her quality of life was significant.
”Despite the fact that she is no longer alive, she has been at the forefront of all of our minds throughout this investigation, and we have been determined to crack this case to finally ensure the man responsible was arrested, convicted and jailed.”
He added: “On that night back in 1980, Wells committed a truly despicable crime and probably thought he had got away with it. But no unsolved serious case is ever completely closed. We work hard to review and assess for opportunities in cold cases and I am proud that we have finally been able to convict Wells and see him pay the price for what he did.”