'Night stalker' suspect remanded

A man charged with a series of rapes and assaults on elderly people in south-east London over 17 years has been remanded in custody.

Delroy Grant, 52, of Brockley, is charged with five rapes, six indecent assaults and 11 burglaries.

The charges relate to attacks alleged to have happened between 1992 and 2009.

Magistrates in Greenwich remanded him until Thursday. Mr Grant was arrested as part of an operation to try to catch a man dubbed the "night stalker".

Operation Minstead was set up to investigate 108 crimes police believe were committed by the "night stalker".

CHARGE DETAILS

• The five rapes are alleged to have taken place in Shirley in October 1992, an unnamed location in Surrey in September 1998, Croydon in July 1999, and two offences in Orpington on 5 August 1999
• The six indecent assaults took place in Beckenham in June 1999, Croydon in July 1999, Shirley in August 1999 and October 2002, an unnamed location in Surrey in September 1998, and Addiscombe in July 1999
• Eleven burglaries in south-east London and Surrey including Bromley, Shirley, Addiscombe, Orpington, West Dulwich and Beckenham between October 1992 and May 2009

Detectives arrested Mr Grant in the early hours of Sunday in a planned operation.

Prosecutor Denise Clewes asked for him to be remanded back into police custody until Thursday as inquiries continue. She added "further charges are likely".

Janet Lloyd, representing Mr Grant, made no application for bail.

He spoke in court only to confirm his name, age and date of birth.

Forensic experts are thought to be examining his home.

Earlier this month the Metropolitan Police revealed that more than 2,000 DNA samples had so far been obtained from suspects as part of the 12-year Operation Minstead inquiry, at a cost of £102,700.

Mr Grant is due to appear again at Greenwich Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
HM Courts Service
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites