Rapist attacked woman while on day release from prison

13 Dekabr 2013 10:38 (UTC+04:00)

A serial sex attacker who was allowed out of prison to work in the community tried to rape a woman at knifepoint during his lunch hour, SIA reports citing Telegraph.

Nicky Suddons, 26, was jailed for life in 2005 after being convicted of seven sex attacks on women and girls during a two-month period.

Earlier this year he was granted permission to leave North Sea Camp open prison in Lincolnshire to carry out painting and decorating work in preparation for his release on parole.

However, he collected a "rape kit", including a balaclava, rubber gloves, condoms and a Stanley knife and disappeared during his lunch break to attack a middle-aged woman who was walking her dog in a park in Grantham.

Suddons, who was eventually chased off by the woman’s labrador and passers-by, denied attempted rape, but the jury at Lincoln Crown Court took less than an hour to convict him.

The former lifeguard later confessed that he carried out the knifepoint assaults for thrills and regarded himself as "untouchable". Last night the Justice Secretary, Chris Grayling, promised a review of the system allowing dangerous offenders out of prison early to work in the community.

He said: "This is a truly horrifying case. I have already asked my officials to review how this scheme is working across the country and for the Chief Inspector of Prisons to look into how temporary release was granted in three cases earlier this year.

"I’m determined to get to the bottom of what went wrong and to take forward any lessons learnt from the reviews I have commissioned. In future when people are released on temporary licence I want to see them tagged so we can better monitor where they are and where they have been." The judge in the case, Judge Sean Morris, also expressed his concern.

After the verdict, he said: "This is a very worrying case. You may wonder what on Earth was going on. Someone gets life and they are out wandering around Grantham."

Suddons, 26, was jailed for life at Manchester Crown Court in September 2005 when he admitted one rape and six sexual assaults on victims aged between 13 and 28.

However, because he was only 17 years old at the time of the attacks, the judge ruled that his minimum tariff should be set at four years, half what he would have received if he had been an adult.

The latest incident is the second recent high-profile case involving a life sentence inmate from North Sea Camp.

In 2012, Lee Cyrus went on the run after being let out on day release for work. He was only arrested after going on a crime spree and was subsequently convicted of five counts of exposure, wounding with intent, unlawful wounding, affray, aggravated burglary, robbery and burglary. He is due to be sentenced later this month.