2007: ATTACKER IS JAILED FOR FOUR YEARS
A masked man behind a series of night-time attacks - and whose victims included a 13-year-old schoolgirl - was yesterday jailed for four years and placed on the sex offenders register for life.Builder Kevin Robinson, 23, was found guilty of false imprisonment and sexual assault of a 20-year-old woman, false imprisonment of a 16-year-old girl and false imprisonment and child abduction of a 13-year-old.
Norwich Crown Court heard how Robinson had grabbed the 20-year-old woman in the Walpole Road area of Yarmouth, leaving her half naked and "terrified for her life".
Robinson's second and third victims, a 16-year-old and a 13-year-old schoolgirl, both managed to escape after fighting him off in two further attacks which all happened in January last year.
Robinson wore a balaclava to cover his face during the attacks, but was arrested after one victim ripped a latex glove he was wearing and a DNA sample was found to be a partial match.
Police investigating the attacks searched a white van he drove and a bag of women's clothing, including underwear, was found.
Robinson, of Church Road, Gorleston, had denied the offences but was convicted by a jury after a trial.
Yesterday, the court heard that since his conviction he had admitted that he had committed the attacks.
Jailing him, Judge Alastair Darroch told him: "These are serious offences which caused a great deal of stress and alarm." But the judge said it was encouraging that Robinson had now accepted his guilt and was willing to get help.
Matthew McNiff, for Robinson, said the offences came at a difficult time in his life.
He now "accepts responsibility for these offences and he has taken those enormous first steps in sorting out the catalyst and addressing the problem," Mr McNiff said.
During the trial the court heard how the attacks were all made on young, lone women and came out of the blue, striking fear into his victims.
They all happened in the Walpole Road area of Yarmouth.
After the case, Det Sgt Rickie Botwright praised the courage of the victims in giving evidence.
