MAN CONVICTED OF 2012 RAPE AFTER DNA MATCH
Rapist has been convicted of attacking a woman nearly a decade ago after a DNA swab was taken in a theft inquiry.Martin Twort, aged 31, was responsible for a knifepoint sexual attack at a secluded location near Moulton, Northamptonshire, in 2012.
His conviction was announced at Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday.
Twort, who had previously resided in Northampton but was living in Great Yarmouth at the time of his arrest, is set to be sentenced on 16 December.
Judge David Herbert QC, ordered that Twort be detained in custody after a jury unanimously found him guilty.
The victim, in her 40s, was walking home after visiting Northampton General Hospital on June 10, 2012, when she was approached by a man offering her a lift.
Feeling unwell, she accepted and was driven for some distance.
The man then stopped the vehicle, brandished a knife, and threatened to kill her if she tried to escape.
He then subjected her to a violent rape, warning her not to report the crime under threat of death.
A college security officer discovered her wandering along a road at 2:00 am the following morning.
DNA analysis was conducted at the time but did not lead to any suspect matches.
In 2017, Twort was apprehended in connection with a separate theft case, and his DNA was subsequently found to match the sample taken during the initial investigation, resulting in his arrest.
Twort, formerly from Byfield Road, Northampton, maintained his innocence and denied the charges.
