Bridgnorth man jailed for rape in Telford 25 years ago
A man from Bridgnorth has today been jailed after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to raping a woman 25 years ago.
Hemmings was sentenced today at Shrewsbury Crown Court to 10 years and six months in prison.
Mark John Hemmings, 58 was linked to the crime when he had his DNA taken last year and stored on the national database during a separate investigation. It was tested with up-to-date techniques and threw up a match to the original crime.
Hemmings committed the crime in Telford Town Park in February 1993. He subjected his victim, Margaret Gordon, who was 36 at the time, to a violent rape as she was making her way to work through the park. She reported the incident to police and an investigation began but no suspect was identified at the time, sadly Margaret has since died.
Speaking last month, Detective Inspector Mark Bellamy said: "This was a terrifying and violent ordeal for the victim and I am very sorry that she is not here now to see justice being served.
"I hope her family can take some comfort from the fact that her attacker has finally been caught.
"The investigation has never closed and thanks to forensic science and meticulous work by detectives, Hemmings has now been convicted.
"We remain committed to pursuing rapists and sexual offenders, regardless of the time which has passed since the offences were committed."
