âFibres link to rape victimsâ™

Fibres found on a suspected serial rapist's clothes matched others discovered on garments worn by all but one of his alleged victims, a court heard today.

A forensic scientist said that in the case of three "victims", there was "extremely strong" or "very strong" support that the fibres had been transferred via Antoni Imiela's clothing.

Imiela, 49, of Appledore, near Ashford, Kent, denies raping eight women and girls across south-east England between November 2001 and October 2002.

The railway worker also denies the kidnap, indecent assault and attempted rape of a 10-year-old girl in Birmingham on November 21, 2002.

Scientist Susan Cheshire told Maidstone Crown Court that 112 fibres found on the Birmingham girl's top, jumper and underwear matched "extraneous" fibres found on Imiela's clothing.

They included several fibres which also matched material from curtains seized from Imiela's home and other fibres which matched material in one of his work jackets.

Miss Cheshire said: "In my opinion there's extremely strong support for the assertion that the 112 fibres found on (the girl's) clothing were transferred by Antoni Imiela's clothing rather than fibres coming from other sources and matching by chance."

Pink nylon fibres matching those in the curtains were also found on clothes worn by some of his other alleged victims, including a 52-year-old woman and a 14-year-old girl.

Miss Cheshire told the court that, in these two cases, the presence of the nylon and other fibres found on the clothes had led her to conclude that there was "very strong" support for the suggestion that Imiela's garments had been involved.

Tests on clothes worn by five other alleged victims in the case had led to conclusions of "moderately strong" or "moderate" support for the same theory, she said.

The court heard that in the case of only one alleged victim - an 18-year-old woman attacked in Woking, Surrey - were no fibres found on clothing which matched extra strands of material discovered on Imiela's clothes.