A man who raped a 19-year-old au pair more than 30 years ago has been jailed.

Billy Roy Day, 50, of Uxbridge, was sentenced today (September 2) at Southwark Crown Court.

Last month he was found guilty of one count of rape, one count of buggery and one count of indecent assault on a woman in Shirehall Lane Park, Hendon in December 1984.

Day was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment for the rape, 11 years' imprisonment for buggery and 21 months for indecent assault. All sentences will run at the same time. 

He will also be made to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

At the time of the offence, the victim who had only been in London for some six weeks, was walking through Shirehall Lane Park, when she was attacked.

Despite an investigation held at the time, no significant leads were found.

In 1998, samples taken from the victim and her clothing were re-examined and a DNA profile of the offender obtained and loaded onto the database, but no match was made at that time.

In 2013, Day's DNA was then uploaded onto the DNA database and was a match to forensic samples taken from the victim and her clothing at the time of the offence. She then moved back to live in her native country. 

It was found to be a 1:1 billion match for Day, who lived very close to the park at the time.

The case was reinvestigated by detectives from the Met's Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command's Complex Case Team, who through the assistance of Europol, were able to track down the victim and flew to her home country to inform her of the development.

Day was interviewed on 20 August 2013, and was subsequently charged with rape and indecent assault.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Gary Farrelly of the sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse command, said: “Day's sentence reflects the severity of the crime he committed - one he thought he had got away with all those years ago.

“I hope that this case gives other victims of rape and sexual offences the confidence to report crime to the police so that we can investigate, and demonstrates that we are committed to bringing offenders to justice, whatever the passage of time.”