Builder used SAS claims to rape

Nigel Da Costa assaulted three women and raped two of them

A builder raped two women after convincing them he was an SAS member.

Nigel Da Costa, 33, of Dovercourt in Essex was convicted by a jury on Tuesday after a six-week trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.

His wife Helen, 29, a primary school teacher, was convicted of 12 charges of false imprisonment and one of perverting the course of justice.

Jurors heard Da Costa, who will be sentenced in March, terrorised the women for more than a year.

Prosecutors said Da Costa, who has no links with the military, claimed he was in the SAS and told three women they were a threat to national security.

Jurors were told he was so convincing, his victims complied with his demands.

At one stage he raped two of the three women after "arresting" them for being a security risk.

This has been a long and complex investigation into what was a bizarre and shocking catalogue of offences Det Insp Godfrey O' Toole Essex Police

On another occasion he put the barrel of a gun into the mouth of one of the victims and indecently assaulted her.

Da Costa also threatened to have the women and their relatives killed.

The court heard Helen Da Costa had either helped her husband or did nothing to stop him.

He and his wife had both denied a long list of charges, claiming they had never occurred.

But Da Costa was found guilty of three counts of rape.

He was also convicted of possessing a firearm with intent to commit rape, two charges of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, six indecent assaults and 19 charges of false imprisonment

He was cleared of one rape charge and one false imprisonment charge.

Intimidated and frightened

Helen Da Costa was cleared of one charge of false imprisonment.

Judge Mr Justice Fulford adjourned sentencing until 30 March.

The detective who led the investigation said the case was the most bizarre he had dealt with in 20 years.

Det Insp Godfrey O' Toole said: "This has been a long and complex investigation into what was a bizarre and shocking catalogue of offences.

"These people were intimidated, frightened, at times terrified and genuinely believed their lives were in danger".