‘Inner West’ rapist finally jailed after 20yrs
Written by admin on May 31, 2024
A serial rapist who preyed on women in Sydney in the 2000s has finally been jailed after almost 20 years.
Darren Kennedy, 54, was convicted of five counts of sexual intercourse without consent, as well as multiple counts of assault with act of indecency, detaining a person, aggravated entrance of homes and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He was sentenced to 17 years and four months on Friday for horrific sex attacks involving four unrelated women in the suburbs of Croydon, Bondi, Bexley and Marrickville in late 2003 and 2004, The Daily Telegraph reported.
He was also found guilty of possessing and disseminating child abuse material.
In one horrendous attack one woman woke to find Kennedy in her bedroom hiding behind a pillow while shining a torch in her face.
He forced her to perform oral sex on him.
Another woman was attacked in a laneway near Bondi Beach. Kennedy told her to “shut the f*** up” before forcing her to perform oral sex on him.
A third victim was attacked in her own garden as she prepared to travel to her son’s wedding.
Kennedy told the victim it would be their secret, saying he didn’t want to ruin her son’s wedding.
A fourth victim, a Year 12 student woke to find him in her bedroom, stroking her cheek.
NSW Police were desperate to catch the Inner West rapist but he evaded police for more than 15 years.
Cops even consulted the FBI, investigating 3000 people of interest.
There was eventually a breakthrough in the case after advancements in familial DNA technology.
Police managed to identify a distant relative of Kennedy who was on the police database which was linked to the DNA found at four of the crime scene.
Kennedy was arrested in November 2021 in Panania.
At Downing Centre District Court on Friday, Judge Jennie Girdham SC described Kennedy’s offending as “cruel” and “dehumanising”.
“His conduct was utterly callous, it was degrading and it was repeated,” she said.
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