WIGSTON MAN SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS FOR RAPE AFTER COLD CASE DNA REOPENS 20-YEAR-OLD ASSAULT
John Townsend was 23 when he went out seeking a prostitute after his marriage ended.In Highfields, Leicester, he approached a young prostitute, but she refused to comply with his demands, prompting him to leave.
Approximately half an hour later, around 11 pm on April 23, 1994, he returned armed with a gun, took the woman to a secluded area, and pressed the gun to her neck.
He forced her to undress, sexually assaulted her, and then raped her without using a condom.
After the attack, he drove away, and the woman managed to escape and went to a nearby petrol station to report the assault.
The case remained unresolved for many years until DNA evidence led to his arrest in 2014.
In 2011, police collected a DNA sample from Townsend following new legislation that permitted DNA collection from convicted sex offenders.
He had previously groped a woman at age 17 after following her on his bike and stopping her to ask for directions.
The DNA match from the sample he provided eventually linked him to the 1994 rape case.
During a search of his residence, authorities discovered a handgun consistent with the weapon used in the assault.
Townsend was brought before Leicester Crown Court, where he was found guilty of rape by a jury, a verdict he continues to deny.
He was sentenced to 15 years for the rape and an additional 10-year sentence for indecent assault, both to run concurrently.
Furthermore, he was permanently prohibited from paying women or men for sex.
Judge Simon Hammond stated, "He has expressed no remorse and still denies guilt.
He poses a high risk of serious harm to adult females." The court also noted that Townsend had not shown remorse and maintained his innocence, claiming, "women are all wired wrong."
