Keith Davison 66

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A rapist has been jailed after he was caught when a DNA sample given by his daughter for an assault implicated him in an attack in 1990.

Police had exhausted all leads when a sample from Keith Davison's daughter linked him to the rape of a 24-year-old waitress in Ryde on the Isle of Wight.

Davison, 52, of Ryde, was convicted of rape in January and jailed for eight years at Portsmouth Crown Court.

His daughter gave a DNA sample when she was cautioned for an assault in 2006.

A technique known as familial searching linked DNA from the crime scene to his daughter's sample.

Davison, of Binstead Hill, voluntarily provided a sample which showed a match and he was charged.

The victim had started to walk home along Ryde seafront at about midnight following her shift at a fast food outlet on 4 August, 1990, the court heard.

"I hope my experience can encourage more victims to have the confidence to report rape offences"

Keith Davison's victim

Davison approached her from behind, put his T-shirt over her head and attacked her.

Police had no suspects until advancements in technology meant a DNA profile from material found at the crime scene was obtained in 2004, but there were no matches on the national database.

The breakthrough came when Davison's daughter gave a sample in 2006.

Davison's victim, who legally cannot be named, said: "Eight years in prison is a good result but no sentence will undo the harm I have suffered.

"At least now I can hope to move forward.

'Suicidal thoughts'

"I hope my experience can encourage more victims to have the confidence to report rape offences."

The court heard the victim knew of Davison as their children went to the same school.

"He was just someone I would see across the playground.

"I only ever saw a brief glimpse of the attacker but Davison was always someone I felt jumpy near and avoided."

Judge Ian Pearson told Davison: "[The attack] has had a significant effect on her life, depression, anxiety attacks, suicidal thoughts, panic attacks.

"The scientific evidence was overwhelming but you chose to challenge that evidence.

"You attacked a lone woman at night, blindfolded her and gagged her."

Det Ch Insp Bob Maker, head of CID on the Isle of Wight, said: "It is a very serious crime and our thoughts are with the victim and victim's family.

"In some ways this is some closure for the victim and that's our primary concern."

Davison was also put on the sex offenders register for life.