Rapist who hunted sex workers at knife point jailed

A “dangerous sexual predator” with a “deep hatred of women” targeted four sex workers in one night, lured them to a secluded part of Manchester city center and attacked them at knifepoint, a court has heard.

Stuart Thomson raped three lone women and attempted to rape a fourth woman near Mancunian Way in the early hours of 31 January 2024, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

The 34-year-old, from Stockport, also pleaded guilty at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court to three counts of sexual assault, uttering threats with a bladed weapon and possessing such a weapon.

Judge Hillary Manley sentenced Thomson to life in prison and ordered him to serve a minimum of 18 years.

The judge said Thomson isolated the women because he wrongly thought they would not report what had happened to them and that even if they did, they would not be believed.

The court heard that one of the victims called police on the morning of January 31 to say she had been raped at knifepoint.

Three other women later came forward to say that they had also been attacked.

Det Sergeant Jennifer Savazi said all the crimes took place within a five-hour period.

The GMP detective said the women, who were all sex workers, had all been approached by Thomson and asked for business.

He then took them to secluded areas and then pointed a knife at them and demanded sex, Det Sgt Savazi said.

A woolen hat, which Thomson was seen wearing in CCTV footage, was left at the scene of one of the attacks.

Forensic testing was conducted before police found Thomson in a hostel and arrested him.

When interviewed, he replied “no comment” and came across as “quite arrogant”, almost as if he didn’t think there was anything to worry about, Det Sgt Savazi said.

He said he had “no doubt” that Thomson had attacked other women, and appealed for them to come forward.

Thomson, she said, attacked the women “violently and senselessly, without any consideration of the harm he was causing them”.

Claire Simister, a case investigator who worked with the women, said that initially it was “very, very difficult” for them to trust the police.

But she said with the help of agencies such as sex worker support charity MASH, a relationship was established.

Ms Simister said: “All four (women) were afraid to go to court because they feared… they would be prejudiced for what they did.”

He praised them all for being “exceptional when testifying in court”.