Rapist to serve life after appeal

12:14pm Monday 21st January 2002

A convicted rapist who was jailed for nine-and-a-half years last summer after breaking into the homes of elderly women has had his sentence increased to life.

In an unusual move, Hertfordshire Police appealed against the original sentence given to Lawrence Connors, of Stevens Place, Purley, claiming it was too lenient.

On Thursday, January 17 the Court of Appeal agreed with the police and imposed a life sentence on Irish traveller Connors, who had previous convictions for raping elderly women.

The 47-year-old was jailed at Luton Crown Court in September 2001 by Judge Findlay Baker QC after admitting breaking into bungalows belonging to elderly women.

Connors pleaded guilty to five counts of robbery in Watford, London Colney, Hemel Hempstead and Redbourn between September 24 and October 8 2000.

In each case he would cover his face before breaking in late at night and stealing money.

Though he did not rape the women on these occasions, detectives are convinced that had he not been caught in 2000, shortly after his release from a previous spell in jail, he would have gone on to rape again.

He was caught after a policeman, DS Neil Mantle, recalled him from the 1980s when had been jailed at St Albans Crown Court in June 1989 having been found guilty of raping an 80-year-old woman in St Albans and an 86-year-old woman in Bexley.

His conviction in 1990 made legal history because it was the first time a rapist had been convicted on the evidence of a DNA profile obtained from hair root cells.

The cells had been found to match the profile obtained from semen stains.

A spokesman for Hertfordshire Police said: "The appeal had been launched after it was felt that the original nine and a half year sentence imposed by Judge Findlay Baker was unduly lenient."

Senior officers thought the judge should have considered a life sentence because he is still considered a danger to the public.

After taking legal advice, police approached the Attorney General who granted leave to appeal.

It is thought between a dozen and 20 such decisions are made each year.

Connors was in court on Thursday to hear Lord Justice Rose, sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice, tell him he would now have to serve a life sentence for his crimes.