GROVE PARK MAN SENTENCED TO 24 YEARS FOR RAPING ELDERLY WOMAN AND TRANSMITTING STI
A Grove Park man has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for a horrific sexual assault involving the rape of an 88-year-old woman and the transmission of an STI.Michael Gold, aged 26, from Reigate Road, pleaded guilty to the attack that occurred on June 19 of this year.He was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on October 29, 2015.
The court heard detailed accounts of how Gold entered the victim’s home through her open window as she was preparing to go to bed, having left the window open to call her cat in.
The victim, a great-grandmother who had lived in her home for 26 years, initially believed the man was after her money, but he made it clear he wanted her specifically.He threatened her by covering her mouth and throwing her mobile to the floor.
Gold then proceeded to brutally assault her, tearing off her gown and nightdress and raping her.
The assault was described as extremely violent and rough, with evidence showing it could have lasted for an hour.
Gold did not wear a condom, and the victim sustained significant bruising, fearing for her life.
During the assault, he also transmitted chlamydia to her, and evidence showed DNA, semen, blood, and faeces linked to Gold found at the scene.The victim’s family expressed profound distress, with one daughter stating, “Seeing her in a hospital bed with bruises all over her body was horrific.
She looked lost, confused.
She was not like this before.
I can’t put into words the pain she suffered.” The victim, a widow, now cannot be left alone or return home, and continues to suffer from severe psychological trauma.
Her family now provide full-time care for her.Gold was arrested later that day at his mother’s house after the police matched DNA evidence found on his abandoned clothing.
Despite pleading guilty to three counts of rape, he answered “no comment” during his initial police interview.
During the sentencing, the judge described Gold as a “highly dangerous man” and ordered him to serve 24 years concurrently for each count.
Gold is required to register as a sex offender, pay a victim surcharge, and a criminal courts charge.
The sentence was met with hostility from the victim’s family, who shouted “tramp” as he was taken away.
Gold was already on bail for another sexual assault at the time of this attack and was found to have taken cocaine and been under the influence of drugs during the offence.
After the attack, he visited his ex-girlfriend and later his mother, attempting to cover up his involvement by washing his clothes in the washing machine.
The case highlights the vulnerability of elderly victims and the dangers posed by Gold, who had a history of offending and was under investigation for previous sexual assaults.
