Rapist caught after using victim's stolen bank card in McDonald's

A rapist who attacked a woman after breaking into her home in north London was caught after using her stolen bank card in McDonald's.

Daniel Wallace, 33, has been jailed for 12 years after he was found guilty of rape, having previously been found guilty of burglary at an initial trial at Blackfriars Crown Court on 19 June.

The court heard how his victim has been walking home in the early hours of 11 September 2016 after spending a night with friends.

The woman, aged in her 20s, said her next recollection was lying on her sofa, unable to move whilst attempting to fend off a man she didn't know. When she woke up, she was naked in her bed with injuries on her body.

The woman then discovered items belonging to her and her flatmates had also been stolen. She reported the rape to police the following day and was supported by specialist officers.

While awaiting results from the forensic tests, the victim's bank card - which was one of the items stolen from the flat- was used at McDonalds in Walthamstow.

Police examined CCTV footage of the fast food branch in question and saw Wallace in the company of an unknown male and female using the victim's stolen bank card to buy a selection of meals. Wallace was also identified as a suspect in the rape following the forensic tests.

When Wallace was arrested on 30 November, he was in possession of what police described as a "rape kit" - lubricants, the drug GHB and Viagra. The 33-year-old refused to answer when questioned by police in custody.

Detective constable Colin Hutton, the investigating officer from Met's Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command, said: "Wallace is a dangerous sexual predator who preyed on a vulnerable woman as she made her way home after enjoying an evening out with friends.

"He then drugged and raped her in her own home and then proceeded to burgle the property while she was passed out cold as a result of the GHB he gave her.

"The items found on Wallace upon his arrest show the preparations he had taken to carry out this attack and indicates that he may have been planning to carry out similar offences in the future.

"I would like to praise the victim's courage for reporting this heinous crime to us and for helping us to put Wallace behind bars and off London's streets.

"I hope today's sentence will give the victim some measure of closure and comfort."