Convicted Rapist Admits To Second Attack in Spitalfields
Jonathan Graden, 29, has confessed to a second disgusting sex attack after already being convicted of raping a young woman in Spitalfields last autumn.
Old Crime Uncovered After DNA Breakthrough
Graden, from Hackney, pleaded guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, 3 June, to raping a woman back in 2011. The shocking confession came after police matched his DNA from his 2018 arrest over the more recent Spitalfields rape to this earlier case.
Two Attacks, Same Brutality
- In February 2011, Graden attacked a 24-year-old woman walking alone on Dyers Hall Road, E11. He pushed her to the ground and raped her, violently banging her head on the pavement.
- On 9 November 2018, the predator struck again, this time following a 22-year-old victim into a building on Hanbury Street, Spitalfields, raping her in a basement before calmly leaving the scene 20 minutes later.
Police Hunt and Arrest
Cops used CCTV to track Graden’s movements, revealing he hopped into a cab bound for Belvedere in south-east London after the 2018 attack. Media appeals, including leafleting the area, pressured Graden to hand himself in. He was promptly arrested on 21 December 2018 and charged the next day.
After initially pleading guilty in January, Graden remains locked up ahead of sentencing at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 19 July.
This grim case lays bare the terrifying pattern of a serial attacker lurking in London’s streets. Authorities hope the tough sentence will bring justice to his victims and safety to the community.
