Sex beast begins life behind bars

Father-of-two Mark Richard Campbell was found guilty of 13 out of 15 charges, including three rapes, false imprisonment and a string of sexual and indecent assaults.

Campbell cried as the verdicts were read out and at one point grabbed the front rails of the dock, bowed his head and sobbed uncontrollably as his family looked on from the public gallery.

During the four-week trial the court heard that from 1998 until 2004 Campbell, of Grenville Gardens, Donnington, Chichester, had deliberately targeted young women, several of them foreign, knowing they would be alone.

Often Campbell would break into their homes, and he used items of his victims' clothing to gag and bind them, before raping or sexually assaulting them.

The court heard in many of the attacks, the victims were not able to see their attacker and Campbell would often stare at his victims before assaulting them '“ a condition known as socophilia.

Some of the victims were stalked, or followed as they walked home, then dragged from the road to isolated locations where they were ordered to hand over money and strip.

Judge William Wood, sentencing, said Campbell had led a campaign of attacks and his victims would never forget what had happened to them.

He said Campbell posed a 'grave danger' to women and had shown a high level of culpability because he was married and must have known how his actions would have affected women.

Campbell will have to serve at least 12 years before he can be considered for parole.

For full story see October 18 issue of the Observer