A man convicted of a rape that occurred over 35 years ago has been sentenced to nine years in jail after an investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s Central East Command Unit. Patrick Simms, 58, was found guilty of raping a person under 16 at Wood Green Crown Court on Thursday, 2 March, following a 14-day trial.
The court heard that in 2019, the victim bravely came forward to report a rape that had taken place in 1987 when she was just 15 years old. She met Simms, then 22, at a leisure center in Hackney, where he offered her a lift back to his address on the Holly Street Estate. There, he committed the heinous crime.
Due to fear of not being believed and shame for her family, the victim did not report the crime at the time. However, the trauma of the incident stayed with her, and in 2019, she decided to seek justice and reported the crime to the police. The Met’s Central East Sapphire Team launched an immediate investigation to gather evidence.
Simms, already serving a life sentence for three rapes he committed in Hackney in 1993 and 1999, was identified as the perpetrator. To ensure the victim’s identification was accurate, officers carried out extensive research of newspaper records, both online and in print, to confirm that his image had never been published before.
Detective Sergeant Matthew Cooksey, who led the investigation, expressed gratitude for the victim’s courage in providing crucial evidence that led to Simms’ conviction. He emphasized the seriousness with which reports of such offenses are taken, regardless of how much time has passed, urging other victims to come forward and speak to the police.
During the trial, Simms attempted to manipulate the jury and derail the proceedings, but the unanimous verdict of guilty was delivered. Following the sentencing on Thursday, 20 July, the judge highlighted the dangerous nature of Simms and his ongoing threat to society. The victim’s statement spoke of the impact the incident had on her life and the importance of seeking justice for closure.
In the end, Simms was sentenced to nine years in prison, with an extended license of eight years. The judge expressed his regret for not having the power to pass a further life sentence but emphasised that Simms’ conduct shows he remains an ongoing danger to women.
