(posted 7528 days ago)BBC News
'Southwark Climber' jailed for attacks
A man who climbed up walls and drainpipes to sexually assault women in bedrooms has been jailed for eight years.Barry Shaw became known as the Southwark Climber because of his method of breaking into homes in Southwark, Kennington and Brixton, south London.
Shaw, 36, of Helsinki Square, Rotherhithe, south-east London, admitted six indecent assaults and five burglaries between January and September 2002.
Police say he was caught as a direct result of calls generated by the BBC programme Crimewatch.
Detective Inspector Nick Mervin said: "Shaw was stalking the streets late at night and then scaling buildings and drainpipes to enter bedrooms.
"He would then subject the female occupants to a terrifying sex attack and afterwards, he climbed back the way he had come to escape. "All the incidents showed the suspect climbing walls to gain entry to bedrooms then committing sexual assaults and sometimes stealing something.
Sentencing Shaw at Inner London Crown Court on Monday, Judge Jonathan van der Werff told him: "You subjected your victims to horrendous ordeals from which they may not recover, they have said you have given them life sentences.
"You are well educated and intelligent and that makes it more unbelievable you did not realise how ghastly these ordeals were."
In court Shaw addressed the judge and said: "I basically want to apologise to the victims because I have hurt them deeply."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/london/3091562.stmPublished: 2003/09/08 17:25:42 GMT
© BBC MMIII