A serial rapist who haunted the infamous eastend d

A serial rapist who haunted the infamous eastend district where Jack the Ripper slaughtered his victims has been given jail terms totalling 68 years
for three armed sex attacks

Thomas Mahoney, 23, a scrap metal dealer, cruised Whitechapel looking for short and slight victims to bundle into his car.

One of his victims was seven months pregnant when Mahoney brutally raped her at knifepoint, Blackfriars Crown Court heard.

Mahoney was convicted by a jury of three charges of rape, two of attempted rape and three indecent assaults between October last year and February this year.

A dozen police officers attended the court amid fears that members of Mahoney’s family would attempt to spring him from the dock.

Mahoney’s barrister, Susan Edwards QC, said he had been taking hard drugs and using prostitutes since the age of 14.

Passing sentence, Judge Christopher Hordern, QC, told him: ‘It is in my view clear from the evidence in this case that on the jury’s verdict you are a person who is a menace to women of a certain type who are particularly vulnerable to a person with your proclivities.

‘You appreciate I’ve no option but to impose substantial terms of imprisonment in relation to these offences.

‘

The judge sentenced Mahoney to 10 years imprisonment concurrent on each of the rape charges.

He was given further concurrent terms of six years on each of the indecent assault charges.

Mahoney will also have to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

Prosecutor Anita Arora told the jury: ‘He preys on young women, all of whom were of a particular build and type, short and very slender.

‘

On 27 October last year Mahoney picked up his victim and took her to the same secluded dirt track in Carpenters Road, Stratford, east London, that he used on all three occasions.

He held a screwdriver to her neck, and forced her to
perform oral sex.

He then raped the 20-year-old anally, made her suck his penis again, and ejaculated on her clothes.

Eventually she managed to escape and called the police.

On February 9 this year Mahoney snatched his second victim, a heavily pregnant 21-year-old woman, off Old Montague Street in Whitechapel.

‘He grabbed her by the plait, and held a knife to her throat,’ Miss Arora said.

‘He threatened to harm her and her child if she didn’t comply.

‘

He then drove her to the same alleyway behind Carpenters Road and forced her to get undressed.

He then made her perform oral sex.

Mahoney attempted vaginal and anal sex before driving her back to Whitechapel.

After the ordeal was over he took her back to Whitechapel.

He selected his final victim, a 23-year-old prostitute, on February 23 this year, on Old Montague
Street, Whitechapel.

She told the court: ‘I went over and asked if he wanted business.

He said yes.

‘I said it would be 30 pounds for sex.

He said yes, no problem.

‘I asked him where he was going, and he told me to shut up.

‘

Mahoney then drove off rapidly to the dirt track in Carpenters Road.

‘He picked up a Lucozade bottle and told me to do as I was told.

‘He said ”Take your clothes off”.

‘He told me he was going to have sex with me up the arse.

”He said have you ever had sex up the arse before?” I said no way.

‘He said he wanted to f*** me up the arse while he smokes crack,’ she went on.

‘He asked me to turn over and got on top of me.

His hands were on my shoulders, holding me down.

‘When he was doing this it wasn’t nice.

He was trying to have sex with me up the bum, but he got frustrated and gave up.

He couldn’t manage it.

‘I was bleeding.

I begged him not to, but he put his hand on my head pushing it forward and made me give him a blowjob.

‘He got bored with that and said he wanted vaginal sex.

Again he didn’t manage to penetrate.

He then tried it up the arse again, but didn’t succeed.

‘He was calling me names – bitch and whore.

He then asked me to lick his balls,’ the 23-year-old said.

As Mahoney drove her back towards Victoria Park in Hackney, he passed a police car.

His victim shouted out the window: ‘I’ve been raped,’ and managed to get out of the car – but Mahoney accelerated away.

He was later arrested and linked to the rapes by DNA evidence in the case of the first two girls.

Mahoney, who lived in a caravan encampment on Eleanor Road, Bow, was from a large family of 23.

‘I’ve used prostitutes over a number of years in Whitechapel, Kings Cross and Streatham areas,’ he said.

‘I’ve never gone with the same girl twice.

I see prostitutes up to five times a week – my average is three or four.

‘

‘I’ve never had any problem but always paid.

I’ve no idea whatever why they make these allegations,’ he claimed.

He has previous convictions for driving offences including aggravated vehicle taking.

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