GARY MITCHELL CONVICTED FOR MULTIPLE RAPEFUL ATTACKS SPANNING 25 YEARS

In a case that spanned over two decades, Gary Mitchell was linked to multiple sexual offenses through DNA evidence. The article recounts several incidents: in 1979, a woman was raped at knifepoint in Felling, Gateshead, while walking home late from her mother's. In 1987, another woman was assaulted and raped in Birtley after being threatened with a knife. The most high-profile case was in 1995 when a woman was raped at her home in Chester-le-Street after disturbing a burglar. Although no immediate arrest was made, DNA evidence collected from the scene was entered into the national database. Later, in 2000, Mitchell was arrested on suspicion of burglary in Hexham and provided a DNA sample that matched the previous Chester-le-Street rape evidence, leading to his conviction and a sentence of 10 years at Newcastle Crown Court. Further analysis under Operation Phoenix in 2003 linked Mitchell to other offenses, including the 1987 Birtley rape, with subsequent DNA profiles matching him. Mitchell denied guilt in the Birtley case but was convicted in November 2003. He had already pleaded guilty to the 1979 rape on May 24, 2004. The article emphasizes the use of DNA profiling to match Mitchell conclusively to these crimes, resulting in his conviction for multiple offenses, including the recent ones.