A 75-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for a knifepoint rape committed more than four decades ago, after advances in forensic DNA technology reopened a case that had gone unsolved since 1985.
David Hill was convicted by a jury at Sheffield Crown Court of raping a woman in an underground car park in the early hours of 7 September 1985, as she returned to her vehicle after a night out at Josephine’s nightclub in the city. He had approached her from behind, pressed a knife to her throat and back, and ordered her to undress. The victim, fearing for her life, complied. Hill then raped her before fleeing, leaving her alone in the car park. Her husband at the time reported the attack to police after she returned home visibly distressed, and an investigation was launched — but no arrest was ever made.
The woman died in 1997, never having seen her attacker face justice. Her brother, who survived her, told the court he believes the rape contributed to her early death.
The case lay dormant for nearly four decades before being reopened in 2021, when forensic scientists conducted a speculative DNA search on a sample recovered from the victim’s clothing on the night of the attack. The search produced a full DNA profile matching Hill. A forensic scientist told the court it was one billion times more likely that the DNA had originated from Hill than from any other individual. He was arrested in March 2022 and denied the allegation, saying he could not recall his whereabouts on the night in question. He did, however, acknowledge that he had regularly visited Josephine’s nightclub and had engaged in casual sexual encounters, including with married women.
The prosecution faced an exceptional legal challenge in building a case around a victim who was no longer alive. Prosecutors successfully applied for her original witness statement to be admitted as hearsay evidence, allowing her account to be heard in court. The jury also heard from her medical records, which documented the lasting psychological impact the rape had on her life, as well as testimony from those who knew her at the time.
Senior Crown Prosecutor Caroline Deacon described it as among the most complex cases of her career. “David Hill subjected the victim to a terrifying and degrading attack that cast a shadow over the rest of her life,” she said. “I hope this case demonstrates the CPS will always seek justice for rape victims, no matter the circumstances or passage of time.”
Hill was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court, a week before his 76th birthday.
