Man Admits 1986 Kent Sex Attack

14 May 2010, 12:41 | Updated: 14 May 2010, 12:54

A man's pleaded guilty to carrying out a serious sexual assault in Kent more than 20 years ago.

Paul James Dyne, from Kingston Road, New Malden in Surrey, was arrested last December after police re-examined DNA that was taken at the time of the attack in Deal in 1986.

A woman, who was 18 at the time, had gone to buy milk from a local shop at around 7.30pm, she recalls walking past a man on College Road in Deal before feeling a gloved hand over her mouth.

She was dragged across the road to waste ground in Ark Lane.

The man threatened the woman and said he had a knife before covering her eyes with a scarf and assaulting her.

The woman was left on the waste ground, but managed to get home where her dad called police.

Officers investigated the case at the time, but no one was charged until police arrested Dyne at his home in Surrey on 22nd December 2009 - he was charged later that day.

DCI Dave Withers said: 'In 1986 a young woman's life was changed dramatically by this horrific unprovoked attack. Twenty four years have passed since then and she has lived with this every day. We hope today with the conviction of Dyne for this terrible crime she is now able in some way to move on with her life.'

Investigating Officers determined that at the time of the incident Dyne had been living with family in College Road, the route the woman had taken before he grabbed her and took her into Ark Lane.  He had also been working at a factory next to the waste ground.

Forensic Science Service Specialist Andy Douglas said: 'Advances in DNA allow the Forensic Science Service to revisit unsolved cases and look for opportunities to apply new techniques to old cases. It demonstrates how far science has brought us in the last 20 years. It has allowed the Forensic Science Service to support Kent Police in bringing an offender to justice.'

Dyne pleaded guilty before Maidstone Crown Court today (Friday 14th) and is due to be sentenced on 10 June.