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Justice finally caught up with a man at Inner London Crown Court on the 22nd December, Christopher Cleary broke into a woman’s house and sexually assaulted her whilst her baby was in bed next to her 14 years ago.
Cleary, 51 yrs, from Erith, was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment for indecent assault to Fion Gunn, the victim, and 2 years imprisonment for threats to kill, against her children, to run consecutively.
On 30th August that year, following an evening out, Fion Gunn who was 32 yrs at the time, was in her bed, asleep at her Balham home. Her partner was out taking the baby-sitter home.
Cleary, who was not known to the victim, entered the house through the closed but unlocked back door, and made his way into the front room where the woman was asleep in bed with her 14-month-old baby.
Cleary knelt on the floor beside the bed, hit the victim in the face and took hold of her shoulders. He woke her up and demanded sex with her and threatened to kill her children. The woman’s other child was in another room.
The victim cried out but Cleary struck her in the face, causing a cut, bruising and swelling to her lip. He then sexually assaulted her before making off through the front door of the premises.
The victim immediately raised the alarm and police attended. There followed a full investigation, which included an appeal in the media, and an artist’s impression of the attacker. However no suspect was identified.
In 2004, as part of the Sapphire Cold Case Investigation unit review of unsolved rapes and serious sexual assaults, the DNA was re-tested and upgraded by the Forensic Science Service.Advancement in technology allowed the sample to be compared against the National DNA Database. The 2004 upgraded sample matched the DNA full profile of Christopher Cleary of Becton Place, Erith, Kent.
DS Annette Maslin, from the MPS Sapphire Cold Case Investigation Team, took on the investigation. The victim, now 46 yrs, was informed and was fully supportive of the re-investigation of this crime.
Cleary was arrested at his home address in Becton Place, Erith on Thursday 29th September 2005. He was charged later that day and appeared in custody at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court on Friday 30 September 2005.
He appeared at Inner London Crown Court on 24th November 2005 and pleaded guilty to indecent assault and threats to kill.
DS Annette Maslin said: “This was a horrific attack, the victim not only feared for her own safety but the life of her children. It is with the help and support of the victims themselves, the Forensic Science Service and the Crown Prosecution Service that we are able to prosecute these individuals. It was a complete team effort and we will continue to pursue all of the suspects identified within these cases in order to ensure that justice is done.”
Judge in the case said “ You have made a disaster of your own life, the frightful pain you have inflicted on other people is of your own making.”
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