Chef jailed for sex attacks on lone women in Leeds centre

George Rufus Kirkpatrick targeted his victims going home from work or later when they left bars or clubs, following them until no one else was around.

He then grabbed and molested them, even pursuing some for a second time if they initially got away or he was disturbed.

Leeds Crown Court heard yesterday that at the time of the attacks between December 13 2009 and January 6, last year, Kirkpatrick was living in Leeds and working in a restaurant in City Square.

They mysteriously stopped that month, detectives were later to realise, because he had moved away to Hebden Bridge.

But he was tracked down after he committed a similar offence in that area, grabbing a girl he had followed off a bus.

Jason Pitter, prosecuting, said Kirkpatrick was cautioned by police in that area who were unaware of his earlier activities but his DNA was added to the database and then linked to his Leeds attacks because his last victim had scratched his face.

Kirkpatrick, 29, recently living in Presteigne, Wales, admitted four charges of sexual assault and was ordered to register indefinitely as a sex offender.

Judge Gillian Matthews QC he would be able to undergo a sex offender treatment programme in prison.

Although the women had not been seriously physically injured they had been damaged psychologically describing nightmares and reluctance to go out at night.

He said: “You preyed upon them and some of the attacks were aggressive in nature.”

Mr Pitter said the first woman was attacked in the early hours of December 13, 2009, when she left a club on Woodhouse Lane and was walking to meet her sister. Kirkpatrick then lived in Grosvenor Road, Woodhouse.

She reached the area of the Dry Dock bar near Leeds Metropolitan University when without warning she was grabbed from behind.

Her attacker groped her between her legs and she felt him pulling at her shorts and tights. She screamed and struggled and he ran off leaving her shaking and in tears.

In the early hours of New Year’s Day a woman had been out celebrating when she was followed and attacked near Park Place.

He grabbed her crotch area and she thought he was trying to drag her into an alley but he ran off when she resisted, although she was aware he was still watching her afterwards.

On January 6, Kirkpatrick struck twice on the same night.

First he attacked a student walking towards Clarence Dock. She had realised a man was following but was unable to put distance between them, hampered by the snow and icy conditions, and he caught up with her.

She feared she was going to be raped when he dragged her to the ground but he was disturbed by an approaching car.

Minutes later a second woman was attacked after crossing the bridge at Canal Wharf.

She said she was frightened and “turned to jelly” but fought back scratching the man’s face before she ran from him.

Catherine Silverton, for Kirkpatrick, said he regretted his actions and the impact of his “disturbing offences”.

He had now sought therapy for his underlying psychological difficulties.

The judge commended the police investigation team and afterwards Detective Chief Inspector Simon Beldon said he hoped the sentence would bring some closure to the victims “who have all shown great bravery to support our investigation from the outset.”

Police used a geographical profiler during their hunt for the attacker and his help about the likely offender proved a “useful tool” in building the case against Kirkpatrick, said DCI Beldon.