American rapist who boasted he was friends with Leonardo DiCaprio and Natalie Imbruglia

An American man who claimed he had connections to Leonardo DiCaprio and Natalie Imbruglia was jailed for 24 years today for raping a mother-of-two in London twenty years ago.

Pierre Bate, 42, broke into his victim’s home in Thornton Heath in the south of the capital in 1996 while her two children were sleeping.

He threatened to kill the woman and harm her children before repeatedly assaulting her over several hours.

Bate told her an armed accomplice was waiting in the room where the children were sleeping to terrify her into submission.

He tied his victim to the bed, forced the duvet over her head and poured cold water over her during the horrific ordeal.

Bate was linked to the attack in 2011 after improvements in DNA technology found a match to his profile.

The Californian was extradited from the US earlier this year to stand trial at London's Southwark Crown Court.

Bate bragged of supposed links to Hollywood stars and even brought former Jamiroquai drummer Nick Van Gelder to give evidence.

Mr Van Gelder appeared to support Bate’s claims that they had partied with Oscar-winning star DiCaprio.


Bate also told jurors that he had previously dated songstress Natalie Imbruglia - though the truth of his unlikely claim has not been confirmed..

The jury were not swayed by his alleged connections and convicted him of eight counts of rape and one of burglary.

Jailing Bate for 24 years Judge Jeffrey Pegden QC said: ‘You completely ruined the life of this young woman’.

‘It’s plain to me you had been watching your victim in the weeks before this offence.

‘You had entered her home when she was not there, taking a photo and leaving a knife by her bed - a bizarre prelude to this offence. You knew her partner was away from home that night.


‘You had in my judgement stalked your victim as a sexual predator, awaiting your opportunity to have your way with her in the depths of the night. You intended to rape her when you entered her house.'



HOW ADVANCES IN SCIENCE ALLOW POLICE TO CRACK DECADES-OLD COLD CASES

Huge advances in forensic science have allowed police to continue investigating crimes decades later.

DNA testing of evidence was first carried out in the mid-1980s, with the technique clearing a man of a rape and murder in a first-of-its-kind case in 1986.

The technology has been developing ever since and, in some cases, detectives can now know if an offender is black or white, the colour of their hair and eyes and their height and age - even if there are no witnesses .

The advances have helped in the cracking of a number of cold cases, with Christopher Hampton this year jailed for the murder of Melanie Road in Bath in 1984.

Speaking about today's case, Scotland Yard's DI Julie Willats said: 'I'm sure Warnock thought he'd never be caught but historic murders such as this are never 'case closed'.

'As we have seen, advances in DNA technology can play a huge part in solving older cases and, no matter how long it takes, the Met will always strive to bring offenders before the courts.'

The victim was forced to leave her home after the attack, the court heard, and has been unable to have another relationship with a man since. She had to bring up her children alone.

The court heard Bate had a previous conviction for an indecent assault in 1995, where he had climbed in through a woman’s bedroom window and lay on top of her until she was able to scream for help.

Bate was extradited to the UK for that offence, and served 26 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of indecent assault and one of burglary.

The victim said in an impact statement: ‘It has been 20 years of insomnia - sleep deprivation is torture. It has changed me as a person - I was always happy, outgoing and had plans but since this I have become a recluse.

‘This man has ruined my life and the lives of my children for the last 20 years.'

Bate, who was forced to represent himself, complained he had only been given four months to prepare his case and had been abandoned by his original legal team.

Bate, who was extradited from the US, was convicted of eight counts of rape and one of burglary and jailed for 24 years.
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