Footage shows a serial rapist who claimed he was “too good looking” for an identity parade prowling the streets for victims.
Stuart Thomson has now been jailed for life for a ‘campaign of rape’ committed in Manchester city centre. The 34-year-old went out armed with a knife and targeted sex workers on the streets behind Piccadilly station, after using crack cocaine.
Manchester Crown Court heard that Thomson approached the women and discussed sexual services for payment, before producing a knife and raping them. He raped three women, and attempted to rape a fourth.
He treated the women “like pieces of meat” and “less than human”, forcing himself on them, then putting them through the grief of a trial by denying his guilt. The attacks all occurred within a three hour period on the night of January 30 last year.
Thompson was tracked down after leaving a wool hat at the scene and after being taken to court he was found guilty by a jury at Manchester Crown Court. He was told that he would be locked up for life with a minimum of 18 years on Friday.
And now footage released by Greater Manchester Police films him showing no remorse during his arrest where he said he was “too good looking” for an identity parade.
Rapist who attacked three women at knifepoint caught after police spot key detail
Thomson has been jailed after being found guilty by a jury
(
Image:
GMP Police)
Police were able to gather a description of him from CCTV footage
(
Image:
GMP Police)
Judge Hilary Manley told Thomson: “Your contempt for each of them was plainly evident throughout the trial and particularly when you gave evidence. I am wholly satisfied that you deliberately targeted sex workers as your victims, because you knew that you could get them isolated and alone in a quiet location in order to rape them, and also because you were cynically confident that they would be less likely to go to the police, and that even if they did find the courage and strength to do so, that they would be less likely to be believed.”
Thomson being interviewed by police
(
Image:
GMP Police)
Greater Manchester Police said they received a series of calls from victims of Thomson. It stated: “In the early hours of the morning on Tuesday 31 January 2024, we received a 999 call from a victim stating she had been raped at knife point on Mancunian Way, Manchester. As police attended the scene, they were approached by a second victim, who had also been raped at knife point. Throughout the day, police received two more reports of a rape and an attempted rape at knife point, in the same location.”
Detectives put together witness statements and descriptions of the offender while they were also able to gather CCTV footage of him. A breakthrough came with the discovery of Thomson’s wool hat. GMP said: “Detectives trawled CCTV to build a picture of his movements in the lead up to the attacks. On several occasions, he was captured on CCTV wearing distinctive items of clothing, including a hoodie with a grey insert on the back, a coat with green lining, a wool hat, and a high vis style t shirt.
Police said Thomson was wearing distinctive clothing
(
Image:
GMP Police)
“At the scene, police also recovered a wool hat, which was mentioned in one of the victim statements, and it was seized for forensics. While at first it came back matching someone who did not match the description of our offender, police went to the address to conduct enquiries. The address was a hostel, and upon attendance, police spotted the offender, wearing the distinctive green jacket that had been identified during the CCTV trawls.”
DS Jennifer Savazzi said: “It’s clear that Stuart Thomson is a dangerous sexual predator. He forcibly imposed himself upon these women in a violent and callous way with no consideration for the damage he was doing to them. I would like to praise our victims and survivors who have shown extraordinary courage throughout and have done all they can to assist the investigation and prosecution, it is their courage which has got us here today.
“This has been a lengthy and difficult process for them, and I am full of admiration for the courage and tenacity they have shown. By not accepting responsibility, Thompson has forced them to relive their pain throughout this trial. The harm offenders like Thomson cause are incalculable, but I hope this result goes some way in reassuring our victims, survivors, and members of the public that a dangerous man is off our streets, and i welcome this sentence today.”