DUMFRIES MAN JAILED FOR RAPE IN PIONEERING GENETIC FINGERPRINT TRIAL
A sinister rapist was sentenced to 15 years yesterday after being convicted by a jury in Scotland's first genetic fingerprinting trial.Peter Thomas, 28, of Monreith Avenue, Dumfries, was found guilty of raping a 27-year-old mother in her home in Parkhead, Glasgow, on August 28 of the previous year.
He broke into the house and assaulted the woman while her two young children, a two-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy, were present and asleep nearby.
Thomas threatened the mother, warning that if she did not cooperate, her children would "get it".
The trial revealed that Thomas had previously committed similar offenses, including a rape in 1979 for which he served four years in Northampton Crown Court.
The conviction was supported by DNA evidence, which linked semen found on the victim's dressing gown to Thomas.
The judge described the offenses as serious, noting the sinister planning involved, such as Thomas making a mask from the victim’s child's underpants.
The judge imposed a sentence of 10 years for the rape and an additional five years for other assaults.
