BIRMINGHAM RAPIST SENTENCED TO LIFE AFTER ATTACKING PENSIONER IN SKEGNESS
A convicted sex offender from Birmingham has received a life sentence after attempting to rape a pensioner while on day release from prison.Mark Thompson, 34, who had been serving a life sentence for rape and a series of robberies in Birmingham, attacked a 79-year-old woman in the seaside town of Skegness.
According to court reports, Thompson barged into the woman's residence after following her and climbed on top of her, attempting to assault her.
Her screams were silenced when her 82-year-old husband heard the commotion and saw Thompson.
The attacker fled but subsequently surrendered to police the next day and pleaded guilty to attempted rape and assaulting her husband.
The attack occurred in July when Thompson had been on unaccompanied visits to the open prison where he was held, North Sea Camp near Boston, Lincolnshire.
At the time, he had spent six years in open conditions and was considered trusted by the prison authorities.
Judge Michael Heath sentenced Thompson to life imprisonment, stating that the Parole Board must consider whether he should ever be released.
Thompson was originally from Nechells and had been sentenced for life at age 18 for violent robberies culminating in the rape of a woman in a deserted churchyard in Duddeston Manor in 1989.
During that attack, the victim was severely beaten and sustained serious facial injuries.
Policing authorities had noted Thompson's psychopathic tendencies at the time, suggesting he could have killed if not caught.
His criminal history indicates a pattern of violent sexual offenses and robberies, solidifying his categorization as a sexual predator.
