LONDON, March 25 (UPI) -- A London minicab driver was sentenced to life Friday for a 17-year string of sexual assaults and burglaries targeting frail older women and men.
"Your utter depravity knows no bounds," Judge Peter Rook told Delroy Grant, Sky News reported. Grant must serve at least 27 years.
A jury in Woolwich Crown Court Thursday convicted Grant, 53, as the "Night Stalker," who struck late at night in South London and the southern suburbs, The Independent reported.
Grant was charged with 18 break-ins between 1992 and 2009, but police say he may have committed as many as 500.
The Metropolitan Police, better known as Scotland Yard, apologized Thursday for mishandling what became the most expensive investigation in its history. Grant at one point became a suspect but was considered cleared 10 years ago because of a mistake about his name, and another tip identifying him was apparently not followed up.
The victims were generally elderly people living alone in 1930s suburban bungalows, including some who were blind, deaf or suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Most were women, although investigators say Grant also sexually assaulted men.
"We may never know exactly why Delroy Grant raped and attacked so many innocent people over the last 17 years; he has steadfastly refused to admit any responsibility or to show any remorse," said Andew Hadik, a lawyer with the Crown Prosecution Service.
