Murderer rapes woman in copy-cat attack

A convicted killer was found guilty today of raping a woman while out on parole in a gruesome re-enactment of a a ritualistic murder he committed 22 years ago.

Mark Shirley, 39, held the mother-of-five in her Bristol home at knifepoint before raping and sexually assaulting her in March of this year.

Shirley was sentenced to life in 1987, aged just 16, for an attack on another woman but was later released on licence after serving 16 years of his term.

He had been out of jail for seven months when he committed the second attack, the Press Association reported.

At Bristol Crown Court the jury found Shirley guilty of false imprisonment, rape, three counts of assault by penetration, and committing false imprisonment with the intention of committing a sexual offence.

When the verdicts were read out, Shirley, wearing a grey sweater and jeans, shook uncontrollably.

Judge John Royce said he considered Shirley to be "a very dangerous man" and wanted a full report before sentencing him at Bristol Crown Court on December 15.

The judge warned him he faced a life sentence.

Shirley was convicted of murdering 67-year-old Mary Wainwright in Cardiff. She had been beaten and stabbed.

Wainwright's flat had been ransacked and there were several ritualistic features to the killing.

Shirley was freed on parole in 2003 but was later recalled to prison for excessive drinking. He was released again in August 2008.

The Parole Board, which made the decision to release Shirley from prison, is to carry out a review of the case.