A convicted rapist was found guilty yesterday of sexually assaulting a woman and two teenage girls in a series of shocking attacks.
Daniel Elliott, 24, of Rosewell Close, SE20, was convicted at Croydon Crown Court of two counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, one count of digital penetration and one count of sexual touching.
The court heard that around 10.30pm on August 3 a 28-year-old woman was walking home from work along a footpath in Mellows Park, Wallington.
She was suddenly grabbed round the neck from behind by a man. He threatened to stab her before sexually assaulting her and making off.
Enquiries produced a CCTV image showing the suspect wearing a distinctive dark hooded top.
On September 5 at around 2am a 16-year-old girl was with her boyfriend, also aged 16.
As they walked down Church Path, Beddington, a man approached them from the direction of Church Road. The suspect forced them both onto the ground, saying he had pepper spray.
He held a tin can to the victim’s eyes and then sexually assaulted and raped her.
On November 15 a 17-year-boy and a 15-year-old girl were in a fenced off children’s playground at Grove Park, Carshalton, at around 8.30pm.
They were approached by a man who punched the boy in the face and dragged him to the ground. He threatened to stab him and called over the girl.
He then digitally penetrated her and tried to rape her. When she resisted he threatened to stab the boy again. He then orally raped her before making off.
The boy and girl immediately called police and DNA samples at the scene matched that of Elliott, a registered sex offender on licence after being previously convicted of a stranger rape.
He was arrested on 20 November 20 and a search of an address connected to him revealed the distinctive dark hoody seen on CCTV during the first attack.
Mobile phone analysis put him at the scene of two of the sexual assaults at the relevant times. Elliott was charged the following day.
The court heard Elliott had been jailed for five years and three months in July 2010 after admitting raping a 19-year-old Japanese student who had only been in the UK two days as part of an exchange trip.
She met Elliott in Clockhouse, Beckenham, on February 15 2010 after becoming separated from her friends. He told her to come with him and then raped her.
Detective Inspector Keith Ward, the senior investigating officer from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: “Elliott is a predatory and dangerous man who despite having just been released from jail, carried out three brutal attacks in a matter of months.
“He didn’t care that two of his young victims were with their male friends at the time such was his determination to carry out these offences.
“The attacks have had a devastating and long-lasting impact on all his victims and I am glad that he will now spend a long time behind bars.
“I would like to commend the bravery shown by the victims in coming forward and reporting these matters.
“Without their courage and support we would not be able to bring these cases before the courts.”
Elliott will appear for sentencing at Croydon Crown Court on June 19.
