"You will receive a sentence measured in years" judge tells man, 76, found guilty of knifepoint rape
A 76-year-old man has been found guilty of rape after forensic evidence tied him to a sex attack dating back 40 years.
Jurors were sent out earlier this morning to deliberate and after just over three hours returned a guilty verdict.
David Hill, who appeared at Sheffield Crown Court today (February 12) aided by a walking stick, had been on trial for two weeks.
A packed out public gallery listened as the foreperson of the jury delivered the verdict, and some began to cry.
“You have been convicted of a very serious sexual offence dating back 40 years,” Judge Peter Hampton said to Hill.
“You have known about what you did throughout the passage of that time, from your 30s to your 70s.
“On March 20 I will sentence you. You will receive a sentence measured in years, you will be remanded in custody until that date.”
Hill was accused by police of being the man responsible for raping a woman in her 20s in a car park near Barker’s Pool, in Sheffield city centre, back in September 1985.
The victim - who The Star has chosen not to name - told police at the time that a man came up from behind her and put a knife to her throat when she tried to get into her car, after spending time with her friends at Josephine’s nightclub.
Hill then told her to take her clothes off, a statement she provided that was read in court explained, before raping her.
Police investigated at the time, however were unable to find the person responsible and it was subsequently filed as a cold case.
The victim then died in the 90s, never getting to see justice.
However, in 2021 a one off search of the national DNA database ended up tying Hill, of Clifton Bank, Rotherham, to the case.
Forensic evidence was further examined and in March, 2022, he was arrested.
“I want to commend the victim in this case,” Head of the Major Incident Review Team, Dave Stopford, said.
“It is tragic that she is no longer here to witness Hill facing justice, but I hope it brings her loved ones some comfort to know that we never gave up on pursuing him. The victim bravely assisted the police in the initial investigation and died very young, and our thoughts remain with her loved ones.”
During the trial at Sheffield Crown Court, a forensic scientist said that a sample taken from the complainant’s clothes was ‘one billion times more likely’ to have come from Hill than anyone else.
Upon his arrest, Hill gave police a pre-prepared statement through a solicitor that around that time he would go out in Sheffield city centre, and had sex with women, including married women.
He denied that he ever raped anyone.
In the course of the trial, the victim’s then-husband and best friend entered the witness box to give evidence, discussing how she was ‘in bits’ after the attack.
Former police officers also attended to explain how they investigated at the time.
“I would like to thank the witnesses who helped secure this conviction,” Mr Stopford continued.
“The lead investigator at the time, ex-Detective Chief Superintendent Robert Varey, and ex-Police Constable Sue Botley, who assisted in the examination of the victim, both provided crucial evidence during the trial.
"I would also like to thank the scientists involved, whose work is invaluable in these historic cases, and without them this perpetrator may never have been brought to justice for this crime.
"This has been a very lengthy and complex investigation. A number of investigating officers on my team have been involved over the years, culminating in Investigating Officer Rachel Morton working many hours to submit the case to the CPS and the courts.”