Serial rapist ‘E17 night stalker’ jailed for life

Sentencing of Aman Vyas marks justice for victims more than 10 years after attacks

A serial rapist, known as the “E17 night stalker”, has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 37 years for the 2009 murder of one of his victims.

Aman Vyas, 35, was sentenced on Thursday for six counts of rape of four women, grievous bodily harm and the murder of 35-year-old Michelle Samaraweeta.

He was extradited from India to face trial at Croydon Crown Court, where prosecutors told jurors he turned a small area near his home in Walthamstow, east London, into his “hunting ground”.

Vyas carried out a “series of violent rapes” between March and May 2009, the court heard. On 30 May 2009, Samaraweeta was attacked by Vyas, then 24, after visiting a supermarket around 1am.

He raped and strangled her in a children’s playground, where her body was discovered by a dog walker shortly after 5.15am.

He fled the UK following a Crimewatch appeal about Samaraweera’s death, purchasing a one-way ticket to India and leaving the same day.

After evading arrest for two years, he was finally arrested in India in 2011 after his former boss gave police a water bottle Vyas’ brother had drunk from, which showed partial DNA linked to the crimes was a male sibling.

Last year, Vyas became only the third person and the second Indian national to be extradited from India to the UK, following an eight-year court battle involving around 30 hearings.

Samaraweera’s sister, Ann Chandradasa, 48, said she thought “he was literally going to get away with murder” because it took so long to extradite him from India.

“I’m just glad we have finally got justice for Michelle and I’m glad that the other victims have got justice as well,” she said.

“It’s partial closure. Him being in prison doesn’t take away the pain of what’s happened and what all these women have been through.”

Mr Justice Bryan, who handed down the sentence, told Vyas: “In the spring of 2009, there was a stranger rapist prowling the streets of Walthamstow looking for his prey. You were that rapist.”

He said Vyas had stalked Samaraweera before killing her.

“You were willing to kill in pursuit of your sexual perversions and in Michelle you found a victim who fought back,” said Mr Justice Bryan.

Michelle Samaweera, 35, was murdered in 2009 by serial rapist Aman Vyas (Met Police)

“She had to be silenced and silenced she was.”

Detective Sergeant Shaleena Sheikh said Vyas caused “further distress” to those he victimised by “subjecting them to a trial”.

“I would like to commend the dignity and bravery shown by his victims and their families throughout this process, which has lasted over 10 years.

“Despite having DNA from the scenes of the crimes, Vyas was not on the database and this prompted a lengthy and complex investigation, which saw more than 1,100 DNA swabs taken and 1,815 addresses visited. We also issued more than 60,500 posters displaying an image of the suspect,” added the detective.

“The scale of this investigation has been remarkable and the case has lasted a decade, taking our inquiries to many different countries and resulting in a lengthy extradition process.”

Vyas has already served just over two years on remand in India and the UK. In 34 years, he will be eligible for release, but the judge said he may never be freed.

Reporting by PA