Man jailed for 1989 rape after cold case review

Rapist Michael O'Meara attacked a woman in Coventry in 1989.

A man has been jailed for the rape of a woman in Coventry city centre 35 years ago after cold case detectives re-examined DNA from the crime scene.

Michael O'Meara attacked a woman, who had been in the city with friends, on Silver Street in July 1989.

He dragged her into a secluded area and raped her at knifepoint, West Midlands Police said.

The 58-year-old was jailed for 12 years at Warwick Crown Court on Monday.

The force said that despite an investigation at the time of the offence, no trace of a suspect was found until a cold case review was carried out this year.

Detectives re-examined DNA gathered at the scene and, due to significant advances in forensic technology, the crime was linked to O'Meara who had previous convictions for sexual assault dating back to the 1990s.

Det Const Ryan Ahern, who led the investigation, said: "This was a harrowing and horrific attack which O'Meara truly believed he had gotten away with.

"But thanks to significant leaps forward in forensic science over the last four decades, we were able to re-examine the evidence and prove his guilt."