‘Highly dangerous’ rapist jailed indefinitely

John Hinton, 23, who described himself as “the devil”, preyed on the girls near Central Park, Peterborough, in the early hours of June 5 last year. Each was left fearing for her life, Peterborough Crown Court heard.

After raping the final victim, a 15-year-old girl who cannot be named, he asked her on a date and bragged about attacking two other women earlier that night.

John Lloyd-Jones, representing Hinton, described how his client had “extremely dark and disturbing fantasies”. After his arrest, he wrote dozens of pages of disturbing diary entries while being held in prison. One said: “I still feel like killing and eating somebody. I’ll catch the prey and tie her up.”

Hinton went on to describe how he wanted to cut a victim up, send her body parts to her family and drink her blood. Later he wrote: “I am the devil.”

Prosecutor Jonathan Seely said the attacks began shortly after midnight when Hinton assaulted two friends before chasing one of them, pinning her to the ground and attempting to pull her clothes off. He only fled when he was disturbed by residents living nearby.

After attacking the two friends, Hinton followed another young woman. “He approached her from behind and put a hand over her mouth,” Mr Seely said. “She started to scream out and yell ‘rape’. He stopped and ran off when a vehicle passed by.”

Mr Seely said that in the final incident, the girl had been walking alone when Hinton approached from behind and punched her to the ground. When his victim regained consciousness Hinton ordered her to come with him to the park. “He threatened to slit her throat before he raped her.”

Hinton, of Wesleyan Road, Peterborough, appeared via video link from HMP Peterborough, after admitting rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, causing actual bodily harm, wounding and assault by beating at an earlier hearing. John Lloyd-Jones, mitigating, said Hinton had been diagnosed with a personality disorder.

Judge Nic Madge imposed an indeterminate sentence for public protection.