Rapist jailed for life

The court heard the 74-year-old was repeatedly raped

A man who raped a 74-year-old pensioner has been jailed for life.

Anthony Joyce, 49, was found guilty by a jury at Bristol Crown Court of the attack on the woman in which he also bound and blindfolded her 93-year-old mother.

Joyce had left evidence at the scene which contained DNA.

Since the attack I have been traumatised and it has left a severe effect on my every day life

Joyce's 74-year-old victim

It emerged after the verdicts that Joyce was a serial sex attacker who had three convictions for the rape of elderly women.

Joyce, from Neville Close, Salisbury, Wiltshire was found guilty of two counts of rape, two counts of false imprisonment and one count of burglary in relation to the attack in June 1999.

Judge Carol Hagen told him he had carried out an attack which had "particularly degrading" features.

She praised the courage of the two women and said she admired their willingness to pursue the matter with the police.

The rape victim said in a statement: "Since the attack I have been traumatised and it has left a severe effect on my every day life."

DNA found

Joyce conned his way into the pensioner's house saying he worked for a telephone company.

He tied up both women and repeatedly raped the daughter after blinding her with a pillowcase.

The jury heard how police found the tip of a latex glove on masking tape and DNA evidence found in it which had a one-in-seven million chance of not being his.

The painter and decorator had a history of sexual offences and had pleaded guilty to raping three women aged between 67 and 90 in 1984 in the Bournemouth area of Dorset.