Victims of Britain's longest-serving prisoner call for public parole hearing

Victims of Britain's longest-serving prisoner are calling for him to face a public parole hearing.

Ronald Evans, 85, known as the Clifton Rapist, has served a total of more than 60 years behind bars for the rape and murder of a 21-year-old woman in 1963 before later being released twice and committing further sex attacks on eight more women .

Evans, who is now preparing for yet another bid for release, was sentenced for killing Kathleen Heathcote in Mansfield in 1964 before being released in 1975 and going on a two-year reign of terror in Bristol , where he attacked seven more women and became known as 'the Clifton rapist'. He was released again in November 2018 after serving a total of 57 years, before sexually assaulting yet another woman in and being returned to prison in 2023.

His most recent victim, who we have agreed to call Tabitha, told the Mirror : "Twice, previous parole boards have been manipulated and hoodwinked by that monster and it must not happen again. I have put in my views directly to the parole people. In my opinion, it is an absolute necessity for a future hearing to be public. That monster must never be let out to destroy more lives."

The woman was attacked by Evans in July 2022 after she met the then 81-year-old at a community centre in North London. Evans groomed her, got her alone and sexually assaulted her in his flat. She reported him to police the following month, but when Met Police officers looked on the Police National Computer, Evans was not flagged as having previous convictions.

The victim only learned of his long criminal history by chance, when she watched an ITV documentary about his previous offences. She today added: "I was let down by everyone who was supposed to be working in jobs to protect me and keep me safe. I have lost all faith in the so called justice system".

Evans was Avon & Somerset Police's most wanted in the late 1970s after committing a series of sex attacks on unsuspecting women in the streets while walking home. He was finally caught in 1979 after a team of brave young female officers, and men dressed as women, agreed to go undercover and put themselves at risk by acting as decoys in the area late at night in a bid to catch the serial rapist.

Hero cop Michelle Leonard was attacked by Evans after she put herself in harm's way and he was finally caught in the honeytrap style operation. Commenting on the calls for a public hearing, she told us: “I have already made my personal views known to the parole board via the Victims Liaison Office, although I am not a victim myself, as I volunteered to be attacked. "I was young and keen to prove myself in those days! I think he should remain locked up. He’s had his chance to behave and he obviously can’t even now at his age...