A man has been jailed for raping a woman at knifepoint over four decades ago, thanks to a breakthrough in forensic science and a complex cold case prosecution.

A jury found David Hill, 75, guilty of raping his victim, who sadly passed away 12 years later, in an underground car park as she left Josephine’s nightclub in Sheffield in the early hours of 7th September 1985.

Hill approached the woman from behind and held a knife to her throat and back while he raped her. The victim sadly died in the late 1990s, but prosecutors successfully applied for a witness statement she gave at the time to be heard as hearsay evidence to build a successful case against her attacker.

Hill was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment at Sheffield Crown Court today, a week before his 76th birthday.

Caroline Deacon, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS Yorkshire & Humberside, said:

"This is among the most complex and unique cases I have worked on in my career, and one which presented exceptional legal challenges.

“At its heart was a young woman for whom we were determined to secure justice for. We successfully applied for her original account of the attack to be used in court even though she has now passed away ensuring that her voice could be heard after 
four decades.  

“We also applied for medical history, showing she had spoken of the impact of the rape on her life with medical professionals years after it took place, to be shown to the jury.

“David Hill subjected the victim to a terrifying and degrading attack that cast a shadow over the rest of her life. In a deeply moving statement read in court today, her brother who survives her spoke of his belief that this rape contributed to her early passing.

“I am extremely grateful to South Yorkshire Police and the Forensic Team who diligently gathered evidence to enable us to build a successful case against Hill. We combined the victim’s medical history, testimony from those who knew her at the time and, crucially, forensic evidence, to prove his guilt.

“I hope this case demonstrates the CPS will always seek justice for rape victims, no matter the circumstances or passage of time."

Background to the case

On 7 September 1985, David Hill attacked his victim as she was returning to her car after spending a night with friends at Josephine's nightclub. He approached her from behind, held a knife to her throat and back, and ordered her to undress. Fearing for her life, she complied.

Hill then raped his victim before fleeing the scene and leaving her alone in the car park. The victim’s husband at the time spoke of how his wife came home visibly distressed - eventually divulging that she had just been raped at knife point. He immediately reported the incident to police, who launched a thorough investigation into the offence. However, ultimately no one was ever arrested in connection with the attack.

The case was reopened in 2021, nearly four decades later, after forensic scientists conducted a speculative DNA search on a sample taken from the victim's clothing on the night of the attack.

The search returned a full DNA profile matching David Hill, with a forensic scientist saying it was one billion times more likely the DNA originated from Hill than any other individual. Hill was arrested in March 2022. He denied the allegation, claiming he could not recall his whereabouts that night 37 years ago. However, he admitted frequenting Josephine's nightclub and engaging in casual sexual encounters, including with married women.

Though the victim had sadly passed away in 1997, prosecutors successfully applied for her original witness statement to be admitted as hearsay evidence, allowing the jury to hear her account of events despite her death.

They were able to build a successful case based on this, testimony from those who knew her at the time, her subsequent medical history and the forensic evidence, to prove Hill’s guilt.