Abertridwr rapist jailed again (From Campaign Series)

Abertridwr rapist jailed again

5:40pm Wednesday 20th February 2013 in News

Prisoners A MAN who raped an 86-year-old woman in Caerphilly 14 years ago is back behind bars for an offence a judge said had “remarkably similar characteristics.”

Hilland Matthews, 66, appeared on Thursday at Ipswich Crown Court where he was jailed for a total of nine years.

In 1992 Hilland, then living at Abertridwr, Caerphilly, was sentenced to six years imprisonment for the rape of a widow in her own bedroom while he was working as a window cleaner.

Judge David Goodin said that, as in the attack in Wales, Matthews had confronted a 53-year-old woman living alone at a bungalow in Ipswich, Suffolk, in June last year before sexually assaulting her.

The woman later told police that she feared she was going to die during the ordeal.

She said that it had left her fearing to be alone and that she had suffering sleepless nights.

Matthews pleaded guilty to sexual assault, sexual assault by penetration and trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence.

Prosecutor Michael Crimp said Matthews, now living in Ipswich, was caught through a DNA sample obtained when the woman had tried to fight back and scratched his face.

Mr Crimp said that Matthews had previous convictions at Cardiff Crown Court dating back to 1974 and involving the attempted rape of a 17-year-old girl and the sexual assault of another teenager.

Sentencing Matthews, Judge Goodin said the attack in Ipswich appeared to have involved a degree of planning.

It had “remarkably similar characteristics”

to the one committed in Abertridwr.

Defending Matthews, Peter Barlex said Matthews regretted what he had done and wanted to apologise.

Matthews had ben drinking before the attack.

In a letter to his partner, Matthews had said: “I feel ashamed of what I did to that woman.”I feel very sorry for her.”