Nigel Armstrong was sentenced to life at Isleworth Crown Court as his violent past finally caught up with him. The convicted killer was brought to justice after police intelligence linked two separate attacks he had made on women three years apart in Ealing and Isleworth.

In June 2003 a woman in her thirties from Ealing approached the Sapphire Unit at Southall police station and alleged that she had been raped by Nigel Armstrong, a former boyfriend. The incident took place at her home on the 22 June 2003.

Armstrong had arrived in the early hours of the morning unannounced. After much arguing he persuaded the victim to allow him entry. A heated discussion took place where he obtained from the kitchen a meat cleaver. The victim was indirectly threatened with this instrument and Armstrong threatened to cut his own fingers off.

He then allegedly raped the victim, which was allegedly followed by another attempt to rape her. He then indecently assaulted her.

The victim had previously obtained a non-molestation order on Armstrong for his violent behaviour towards her.

Nigel Marcus Armstrong Drayton Ave, Hanwell was arrested on 24 June 2003, charged with rape, attempted rape and indecent assault, and was remanded into custody.

Further enquiries were made into his background, at which point it was discovered that a similar allegation had been made to police in 2000 by another woman who had been in a relationship with him in Isleworth. There were a number of striking similarities between both the allegations.

This woman had also been in a violent relationship with the defendant and had previously obtained a non molestation order on him. The relationship had also ceased when, during the early hours of the morning, the defendant had turned up announced at the victim's home. He let himself in with keys that the victim was not aware of and made his way to her bedroom. She suddenly awoke to find Armstrong astride her, demanding sex. She resisted at which point he reached to the side of the bed and produced a bread knife. He put the knife to her throat.

She was raped and he threatened to kill her if she ever told the police. Although she did report the matter to police at the time, she was unwilling to pursue a case against Armstrong through the courts, and he was not arrested.

However - in light of the allegations from the woman attacked in Ealing - Armstrong was further charged in 2003 on these matters involving 'B' - i.e. rape; assault ABH; and kidnapping (where he had allegedly turned up at her work place and forced her into his car)

Armstrong appeared at Isleworth Crown Court , with six counts on the indictment. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges. He claimed that the incident in May 2000 was lies and that it did not happen and that the incident in 2003 did happen but was with consent. On 2 April 2004 the jury found him guilty of rape in relation to the incident in May 2000 and guilty of Indecent Assault in relation to June 2003. He was acquitted on all other charges.

His Honour Judge Katkuda told the defendant that he was to receive a mandatory life sentence for the offences as he had previously been convicted of manslaughter where he had received a sentence of 12 years (a robbery in Putney in the 1980s where a man was shot and killed]).

DS Neil John, the officer in the case, said: "This is a good result for the police, a tremendous result for the victims who have been to hell and back in helping to secure this conviction, and an even better result for those unsuspecting women who may have had the misfortune of meeting this dangerous sex offender, had he been acquitted."