DNA links convicted rapist to Bay cold cases

Ten years after a Cotswold estate agent had her clothes ripped off and was tied up with her bra, a man, serving time for rape, has allegedly been linked to the harrowing ordeal through DNA evidence.

The half-naked woman had narrowly escaped any further trauma when her attacker was seemingly disturbed by a fellow employee arriving for work.

But after the case went cold, with no arrest made, the man allegedly used his short-lived freedom to rape another woman in the Motherwell area.

The 32-year-old suspect, who is yet to plead to the latest charges, including sexual assault, rape and robbery, made a brief appearance in the Gqeberha high court yesterday, where his case was postponed to tomorrow for a plea.

According to court papers, on December 11 2013 the estate agent arrived at her business premises in Cape Road at about 7.35am.

After entering the building, she closed and locked the entrance door before proceeding to her office, where she heard a noise and went to investigate.

As she approached the front door, she noticed a man standing inside the offices.

When she asked him what he wanted, he told her he was looking for work.

When she told the man she had no work for him and walked towards the door, the man allegedly grabbed her, pushed her to the ground and strangled her.

He then allegedly dragged her to the bathroom.

According to the state, he allegedly ordered her not to make a noise before ripping off her shirt and bra. He tied her hands behind her back with her bra and a cellphone charging cable.

It is alleged the man then ransacked the woman’s handbag and laptop bag before covering her face with her shirt and demanding that she hand over her car keys.

She was unable to tell the man where the keys were and he then allegedly undressed himself and removed the woman’s pants.

It is alleged the man then suddenly stopped what he was doing, put his clothes back on and left the woman in the bathroom, still tied up.

He left with the woman’s laptop, laptop bag and cellphone.

Moments later, the woman’s fellow employee entered the bathroom and assisted her.

Police were called and evidence was collected for foren

sic analysis. Seven months later, on July 5 2014, the man allegedly struck again when he attacked a 36-year-old woman who was travelling in the same car as him.

It is alleged the woman, who had been under the influence of alcohol at the time and on her way home in the NU29, Motherwell area, was taken to an unknown place where she was allegedly accosted by the suspect and an accomplice.

She was allegedly raped by both men, who threatened to shoot her if she looked at them.

She was robbed of her jacket, a pair of boots and two cellphones.

After the two men left, the woman shouted for help and was assisted by three women and a man.

The matter was reported to the police and the woman was taken for a medical examination, where samples were taken for DNA testing.

Months later, on February 28 2015, the man allegedly broke into a house in Shirley Street, Newton Park, where two television sets and a laptop were stolen.

Police collected evidence which was sent for forensic analysis.

It is understood that the man was linked to all three incidents through DNA analysis after buccal samples were taken from him while in custody.

The man was convicted on an unrelated count of rape in 2020 and sentenced to life imprisonment while already serving a 10-year sentence for a previous rape in 2016.

Further details of his previous convictions are unclear at this stage.