Jamaica-born 'Night Stalker' sentenced to life

Delroy Grant, a Jamaica-born resident of London, England, was, a few weeks ago, sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of 29 offences of burglary, rape, and sexual assault.

For 17 years, Grant terrorised residents of southeast London by committing vicious crimes, primarily against the elderly. He became known as the 'Night Stalker' and was meticulous in the way he went about his crimes. It is believed that in the 17 years before he was caught, Grant committed more than 500 crimes. One of his victims was an 88-year-old woman whom he raped with such violence that she was left with serious internal injuries.

Grant, a former Jehovah's Witness, researched his victims first, using the electoral roll to identify pensioners living near his Brockley, southeast London home. He preferred targeting older houses, with windows that were easy to open.

Once inside, Grant would unscrew light bulbs and cut telephone wires so his victims would neither see him coming, nor be able to call for help. They would awaken to find him standing over them with a crowbar and torch.

Charming and respectable

Grant's friends described him as charming and respectable, saying he cared well for his disabled wife and liked playing dominoes. But a woman, described as a "former lover" and who asked not to be identified by name, told the UK Mirror that Grant had serious emotional issues. She said he would disguise his perversions by being a sweet-talker and cooking her lavish meals, but he had a tendency to lash out at her with no provocation.

Grant, now 53 years old, was convicted of 29 charges against 18 victims between October 1992 and November 2009. He will have to face at least 27 years in prison before being eligible for parole.