Homeless Jake Killick, 23, roamed the streets of Norwich before ‘imposing his sexual will on a number of women’, a court heard
A rapist carried out a string of violent robberies and sexual assaults on women during a three-hour rampage in a busy city centre.
Homeless Jake Killick, 23, roamed the streets of Norwich city centre early one morning on March 30 2017 before ‘imposing his sexual will on a number of women’, a court heard.
A judge yesterday warned the sexual predator that he faced ‘many years’ behind bars as sentence was adjourned to await the results of psychiatric reports.
Killick, who didn’t give evidence and fell asleep during his trial, was warned by Judge Holt: ‘I have no doubt that the sentence will be a long sentence. You will be in prison for many years.
‘My concern is protecting the members of the public.’
The court heard Killick launched his horrific one-man sex and robbery crime spree in Norwich in darkness, targeting a terrified lone commuter on her way to the train station in the early hours.
During the trial the traumatised victim told how she was grabbed by Killick as she walked along Riverside Road at about 4.35am.
She said she told him she’d like him to go away and tried to remove his arm from her shoulder. But aggressive Killick became far more threatening and said: ‘You don’t touch me, I touch you.’
She said he touched her between the legs and he tried to drag her down St Matthews Road.
The victim told the court: ‘The thought I had was that I’m going to be raped.’
She said she ‘grabbed hold of a road sign’ and started screaming in a desperate bid to end her ordeal and get help.
‘I thought something horrible was going to happen at that point,’ she said. ‘So I was desperate to attract anyone whatever way I could so I screamed as loudly as I could.’
Killick’s next target was a woman who had been walking through Chapelfield Gardens on her way to work. He grabbed her and pulled her into an alleyway where he raped her.
The terror-stricken woman was then forced to go to Ten Bell Court in Norwich where depraved Killick repeatedly raped her.
The petrified victim was told she would be ‘hurt and murdered’ if she told anyone.
Her nightmare only came to an end when another resident opened her door and let the woman into her home. The Good Samaritan immediately alerted police.
But Killick’s rampage continued. He then strolled into the city centre where he sexually assaulted one woman before grabbing a 16-year-old girl in St Stephens Street underpass.
The terrified teenager managed to break free and escape.
Killick then robbed a man of his mobile in the Chapelfield Gardens area before snatching a phone from the ear of an unidentified victim at Norwich Bus Station.
CCTV showed him being chased by the victim and a woman who had gone to his aid. But Killick was off and then stole cash from another man in London Street.
The stunned victim could be seen fighting back on CCTV as a massive police manhunt was launched.
But Killick broke loose and headed to the railway station where he was finally arrested as police flooded the platform and shocked rush-hour commuters looked on.
This footage shows how Killick was finally caught by police at a packed train station
Killick denied six rapes, three robberies, sexual assault and false imprisonment with intent to commit a sexual offence on March 30.
But a jury of seven men and five women found him guilty of the horrifying catalogue of crimes in just over seven hours at Norwich Crown Court.
Killick was cleared of one earlier alleged rape but also found guilty of breaching a restraining order on January 5 last year.
Judge Stephen Holt adjourned sentence until March 16 and ordered reports to assess the threat the dangerous thug posed.
The judge ordered a psychiatric report and said it was up to Killick if he co-operated or not.
Judge Holt praised police who hunted him down and thanked the jury for their role in such a ‘difficult and very unpleasant case’.
Last night Det Insp Chris Burgess, of Norwich CID, said: ‘Killick went on a horrid crime spree which significantly impacted on the lives of his victims.
‘These horrendous crimes will undoubtedly stay with them for a long time and I hope today’s verdict offers them a form of closure in what has been a very difficult time.
‘I’ve never seen a series of crimes, so serious in nature, committed in such a short space of time.’
He added: ‘Killick’s actions on that day are inexcusable and he should expect to spend a considerable time behind bars where he is no longer a threat to the public.
‘This case shows how the community, including businesses, can come together to bring violent offenders to justice, and I would like to thank them for their help in securing a positive outcome.’
The serial sex attacker’s dramatic arrest by police was filmed by a local journalist
This footage shows how Killick was finally snared as he hunched down on the ground at the packed train station.
The serial sex attacker’s arrest was dramatically shot by stunned Eastern Daily Press sports writer Chris Lakey.
Mr Lakey, 57, was on the train waiting to go to London and thought he had filmed a fare dodger as police swooped down.
He said: ‘I realised that something was happening because I saw police officers on the left and right side of the platform. Then I saw him (Killick) walk up the platform but didn’t take any notice. He looked normal and not like he was running away.
‘I heard ‘he’s here, he’s here’ and they ran towards him. There was no sort of aggression, no fighting or anything.
Another clip captures one of Killick’s victims fighting back after he was mugged.
CCTV shows the thug approaching his target in London Street before snatching his wallet and nonchalantly walking on. But the shocked victim reacts instantly.
He jumps on Killick’s back, grabs him around the neck and forces him to the ground where they wrestle before Killick manages to free himself and run off.
Killick has a string of previous convictions for offences including burglary, battery, threatening behaviour, assaulting a police officer, criminal damage and breaching restraining orders.
The defendant told the court he had very bad anxiety and depression and was on medication, although had not taken it for four days before his astonishing rampage.