Rapist Who Tried To Beat Pensioner Victim To Death Convicted

Richards: "I like you. I will kill you."

This is the face of an evil rapist, who tried to beat his 70 year-old victim to death - leaving her with ten broken ribs, a fractured cheekbone and jaw, broken hip and vertebrae and bleeding on the brain.

Builder Robert Richards, 22, of Chessington, knew the pensioner after previously changing a lightbulb for her and scaled the outside of her suburban home early in the morning and entered via an open window.

He was convictd at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court of the rape, attempted rape and attempted murder of the pensioner at her Chessington home on October 23, last year and will be sentenced on August 4.

Between 5:30am and 6:30am the women was woken by Richards, who put his hand across her mouth and threatened to kill her if she screamed.



The victim recalled the defendant ominously uttering the words: "I like you. I will kill you."

He then raped and beat her severely and she suffered a cardiac arrest whilst being treated in hospital.



Following the attack Richards left the property via a back door and the victim was able to alert her neighbours by banging on an internal wall. 



Detectives from the Metropolitan Police's Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command (SOECA) launched an investigation.



Police enquiries quickly led to Richards being identified as a person of interest and he was arrested locally the same day.



The court heard Richards had once changed a lightbulb for the woman.



When he was brought in to custody he was wearing two pairs of tracksuit bottoms.

His clothing was seized and officers found the first pair of bottoms were covered in blood.

Forensic analysis identified the blood as the victim's.



Richards lied that he found the bloodied tracksuit bottoms in the street and his DNA was also found under the fingernails of the women.



He tried to create an alibi when he bought tea bags at a local shop, knowing he would be captured on the store's CCTV.

Detective Inspector Nicky Arrowsmith said: “I would like to pay tribute to the spirit and courage displayed by the victim, who gave evidence during the trial.”