Prison release rapist targeted woman in her Leeds home

Daniel Wallace disguised himself before threatening the victim with a pair of scissors and robbing her.

Wallace was given an extended prison totalling nine years, eight months, after a court heard it was the third time he had carried out a serious offence against a woman.

Leeds Crown Court heard Wallace carried out the attack on May 20 this year, shortly after being released on licence from a five-year sentence for rape. Wallace approached the woman in the Armley area of Leeds as she was unloading her car in the early hours of the morning.

The 29-year-old initially made polite conversion with the victim before walking away.

Wallace then went home, changed his clothes and armed himself with a pair of scissors before returning.

He covered his face before going inside and threatening the woman.

Wallace ordered the woman to hand over her car keys and sit on the bed.

He took the car keys and ran off when the victim began to scream. He was caught on CCTV cameras changing his clothing before returning as the woman was with her partner.

Wallace returned the keys back and made up a story that he had caught a man running away from the property.

Wallace, of Edinburgh Road, Armley, was arrested after police obtained the footage of him changing his appearance.

He pleaded guilty to robbery.

Judge Christopher Batty described the offence as “concerning” as the motive for the offence was still unclear.

He said: “You do not drive, you did not take the car, but you certainly wanted to be in a house with a weapon, threatening her in her own home in the early hours of the morning.”

Judge Batty imposed the extended sentence after saying her considered Wallace to pose a serious risk of causing physical or psychological harm to women in the future.

He must serve a custodial period of four years, eight months, followed by a five-year licence period.

Wallace was jailed for five years in November 2013 after being found guilty of raping a woman in her own bedroom in east Leeds.

The sentencing judge told Wallace he had concocted a "tissue of lies" after the attack.

He also has a conviction for wounding a different female victim in 2011.

During that incident he punched a woman in face before using a kitchen knife to stab her in the leg.