Mark Hemmings

In February 1993, Mark Hemmings, then aged 33, committed a brutal rape against 35-year-old Margaret Gordon in Telford Town Park, Shropshire. The attack was violent and terrifying, leaving Gordon traumatised. During the investigation, detectives collected DNA evidence from the scene and from Gordon, but at the time, no match was found in the police database. The sample was preserved, however, as part of an ongoing commitment to cold case reviews.

Hemmings remained at large for over two decades. The breakthrough came in the summer of 2017 when West Mercia Police raided his home in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, following reports of a man brandishing a knife. During the raid, police dog Canto, a five-year-old German Shepherd, was deployed to detain Hemmings. In a shocking turn, Hemmings stabbed the dog in the chest with an eight-inch kitchen blade. Despite the injury, Canto continued to bark and hold the scene, allowing armed officers to subdue and arrest Hemmings with tasers. Canto made a full recovery and later received a bravery award.

Following the arrest, officers routinely took a DNA swab from Hemmings, which was entered into the database. It produced an immediate match to the 1993 rape sample. This forensic link was pivotal, as confirmed by Julia McSorley, senior crown prosecutor with the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit: 'The prosecution team were able to link Hemmings to the rape which he committed in 1993 through the use of forensic evidence. This key piece of DNA evidence has helped us to bring this dangerous sexual predator to justice for a crime which he thought he had got away with.'

Tragically, Margaret Gordon had passed away in 2014, never witnessing justice for her attacker. Her family attended the proceedings at Shrewsbury Crown Court, where Hemmings admitted to the rape charge. He was sentenced to 10 years and six months' imprisonment. Detective Inspector Mark Bellamy, who led the investigation, expressed regret outside the court: 'This was a terrifying and violent ordeal for the victim and I am very sorry that she is not here now to see justice being served. I hope her family can take some comfort from the fact that her attacker has finally been caught.' Bellamy also highlighted the police's dedication: 'The investigation has never closed and thanks to forensic science and meticulous work by detectives, Hemmings has now been convicted. We remain committed to pursuing rapists and sexual offenders, regardless of the time which has passed since the offences were committed.'

The case, reported by The Independent on 6 March 2018, underscores the enduring impact of sexual violence and the role of modern forensics in delivering belated justice. Hemmings' actions not only devastated Gordon and her family but also demonstrated his ongoing threat to public safety, as evidenced by the knife incident.