Christopher Clark handed 13 year sentence as brave victim Yolande Jenkins says the incident 'changed her life'

Christopher Clark, 68, pleaded guilty last month to the knifepoint assault on a teenager. He was serving a life sentence for a separate sexual offence when Essex Police’s cold case unit made the forensic match last year.

Clark, who is also known as the Early Bird Rapist, was charged in January and admitted the new count of rape on August 2.

Watched by his victim Yolande Jenkins from the public gallery, he was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court to 13 years in custody and five on extended licence.

Ms Jenkins, who is now known as Yolande Kennedy and has waived her right to anonymity, told the court Clark had a “traumatic” impact on her life, eventually driving her to attempt suicide.

Support - Det Ch Insp Stephen Jennings with Yolande Jenkins

Recorder Claire Davies told him: “You would have known that you were hurting her and that is the least of what you were doing that day.

“It is regrettable, to say the least, that you were not caught then, because then you went on to carry out a campaign of the most serious sexual offences for which you’re serving a life sentence.”

Clark showed no emotion as he listened to proceedings through a headset.

Earlier, Ms Jenkins, who is now 51 and lives in Florida, addressed him directly as she gave an impact statement.

Fighting back tears, the mother-of-two spoke in harrowing detail about how she struggled to trust men after the attack and quit the job she loved.

She said: “I became like a broken vase - you can piece it back together but it won’t be the same as it once was.

“You made me feel like I was nobody. You obviously think you’re powerful, but in reality you’re nothing, a nobody, a sad old man who hopefully will feel pain for what you have done.

“Nothing would make me happier than knowing you will never get the chance to hurt anyone again.”

Clark targeted the victim, who was 18 at the time, as she walked to work along Clockhouse Lane, North Stifford, on September 17 1985.

She was heading to a bus stop at around 6.15am, prosecutor Louise Oakley told the court.

The scene - the farm yard where Clark dragged Yolande during the attack

She said: “She realised that he was running up behind her. The defendant grabbed her around the neck and she noticed in the hand that came across her chest he had a Stanley knife.”

He held his weapon to her throat her and dragged her into a farmyard, telling her: “I don’t want to hurt you,” the court heard.

He said he wanted to “make love” to her before carrying out the assault.
DNA evidence was gathered at the time but no suspect was found.

Speaking ahead of the hearing, Ms Jenkins said she was speaking out in a bid to encourage and support other women.

Essex Police's evidence review linked Clark to crime

THE serial rapist was linked to the rape of 18-year-old Yolande Jenkins during a cold case review of the evidence.

Det Chief Insp Steve Jennings said: “There’s no unsolved crime that’s ever closed. We do periodically review unsolved cases particularly those of a serious nature like this.”

With the development in DNA technology, a forensic review was carried out which linked Christopher Clark to the crime.

He added: “At that point it was quite exciting to think we’ve caught the person responsible. So we went to see Clark in prison and he was interviewed, a DNA sample was taken which was resubmitted to the lab where they said conclusively that his DNA was present.”

They tracked down Ms Jenkins who was fully supportive of the investigation.

He said: “Some of the information she has provided to us and the fine detail about what took place really helped us build the case up.”

Det Chief Insp Jennings said his team had to act quickly as Clark was due to be reviewed for potential parole.

READ MORE: Brave victim speaks about horrific ordeal in bid to help others

He added: “It obviously wasn’t certain he would get it but it was due up for review in a matter of weeks.

“We formally arrested him while he was in prison and interviewed him. We had to convince Yolande that we are in a different place now in policing to where we were then and that we had the tools, experience and training to support her.

"The credit has to go to her not only for supporting this but she has also waived her anonymity. She is helping us internally in the police to train our officers and help them understand some of the issues victims unfortunately sometimes receive from the police.”

Dangerous - Christopher Clark in the 1980s

Clark's campaign of abuse

Christopher Clark, also known as the Early Bird Rapist, gained notoriety in the 1980s for a “campaign” of serious sexual offences across Essex and other areas of the country.

In 1986, the 68-year-old was arrested and charged with 13 offences including rape and burglary with intent to rape.

The offences took place in South Benfleet, Grays, Great Baddow, South Woodham Ferrers, Hornchurch and Upminster.

Members of the press dubbed Clark the Early Bird Rapist as during the offences he would watch the homes of his victims, waiting for their husbands to leave before in some cases threatening them with knives, sexually touching them and in two cases, raping them.

Before this string of offending, Clark had been previously convicted of lesser sexual offences.

In 1966, he was convicted of indecent exposure and in 1978 he was convicted of indecent assault on a female under the age of 14 while she was visiting his home in Bristol.

Clark is currently serving a life sentence for sexually assaulting and attempting to suffocate a young teacher in Bath in July 1996.

At the time, Clark had only been out of prison for three months after serving a 14-year prison sentence for another sex offence.

Clark attacked the woman yards from the bail hostel where he was staying.

Recorder Davies told Clark, who was emotionless when he appeared for sentencing for his latest conviction that he showed “no remorse” for his crime.