"Charming" Serial Rapist Gets Extra Prison Time For Three More Attacks

An "arrogant sexual predator" is starting a new life sentence for three more rapes, after his traumatised victims came forward - prompted by the notoriety surrounding his attacks on four other victims.

Serial rapist Brian Witty, 42, a former Territorial Army captain with the Parachute Regiment and City banker - described as "charming" by many of his victims - was already behind bars, but yesterday's sentencing increases his minimum term by four years.

He raped the professional women when they were all 19 year-old students - beating one severely and smirking with a smug look on his face after raping another.

"They describe him as somebody who is charming, confident on the verge of arrogance, violent and takes sex by force, using his physical strength if he is refused," prosecutor Mr. Edmund Gritt told the Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court jury.

Witty, of Marlow House, Twickenham Road, Teddington was convicted at the same court last year of three rapes and one sexual assault of four victims - prompting the three new victims to come forward after years of silence.

He was convicted of raping the first complainant, who is now a 43 year-old dentist at her Liverpool University hall of residence room in September or October, 1989; raping the second woman, now a 35 year-old nurse, at a Hull address in December, 1997 and raping the third, now a doctor, aged 35 at his former Kensington flat in the early hours of New Year's Day, 1998.

Judge Nicholas Price QC sentenced Witty to life imprisonment, with a twelve year minimum, telling him: "You were bullying, you were controlling, you were manipulative, you traumatised and devastated their lives.

"Your callous indifference to each of these victims speaks volumes about your character and you treated them with utter contempt and with each woman you wore no condom, which in itself was an exacerbating feature.

"You knew that each was telling the truth, but you showed no compassion in your decision to challenge their allegations and I have no doubt you will continue to protest your innocence on these charges."

Witty was warned by the judge to stop shaking his head in mock disbelief when the case was opened to the jury by the prosecution at the start of the trial.

The court heard Witty knew the first woman, who he met at Hull College of Further Education, where she was retaking her A-levels and was angry when she stood him up in Liverpool, where she had moved to study dentistry.

"Her first impression was that he was charming, fun and engaging, but also cocky and very confident," explained Mr. Gritt. "She soon discovered that Mr. Witty's personality had a different side that was intimidating, jealous and violent."

A witness once saw Witty twisting the student's arm until she said sorry to him for a joke he was offended by and he also beat her and parked outside her family's home in Hull to intimidate them, the jury were told.

After she moved to Liverpool he tracked her down and turned up at her lodgings.

"She was terrified, he held the door open, punched her and forced her back into the room," said Mr. Gritt. "He punched her repeatedly all over and she curled herself into a ball to protect herself.

"He sat on top of her, holding her down, and at one point put his hands around her neck.

"He pulled down her lower clothing and raped her. He was very strong and she was very frightened.

"Afterwards he started punching her again and she began screaming. The defendant continued shouting and hitting her and was enraged that she did not meet up with him."

She was left with a bleeding eye and lip and with bruising to her face and body, but only told people Witty had beaten her up.

The jury were told the second victim was staying overnight on a living-room sofa at an address in Hull Witty and a couple were also staying at.

"There in the small hours she was woken by this defendant, pulling her to the floor and he held her down and put his hand over her mouth," said Mr. Gritt.

"He was much stronger and she was frozen with fear and this defendant then raped her.

"He said nothing, but simply looked smug and he stood up with a smirk on his face as if something funny had just happened."

Again the victim did not report the rape and the jury were reminded Witty had raped before this date and was "confident" after being released without charge when arrested and questioned by police.

Days later Witty was celebrating the new year in London and agreed to look after a medical student, who was attending Guy's and St. Thomas's Hospital, and could not get back home to Romford, Essex.

"Her friend fatefully introduced her to Mr. Witty as somebody who would look after her and eliminate the risk of her getting raped on the way home.

"The defendant reassured her that he did not have any ulterior motive, but sex was all that was on his mind and she thought he was the perfect gentleman."

The jury were told his Kensington flat had been the scene of a previous rape and again Witty attacked a lone female once he got her inside.

"He pushed her face-down on the bed, holding her arms above her, spread her legs and raped her," said Mr. Gritt. "She was shocked and scared and did not know what to do."

The young woman told her tutor, doctor and friends about the rape and they noticed bruising to both her arms, the court heard, but again the police were not informed.

Like the other two complainants she only went to the police after learning of Witty's convictions.

In May, last year he received life - with an eight-year minimum - for three rapes and a sexual assault committed between 1996 and 2011 after meeting the four victims on online dating sites or in smart bars.

He was arrested after each of the first three attacks, but was only charged after raping the fourth woman, a 42 year-old he met via DatingDirect.com and shared a drink with at a Richmond pub.

The first woman was raped after bumping into Witty at a Fulham pub, five months after they had a one-night stand, the second was sexually assaulted in a Covent Garden alley and the third raped after meeting him in a Twickenham pub.