Night Stalker on the prowl: Evil rapist caught on police surveillance tape during 17-year reign of terror.

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• Police made blunders over mistaken identity and DNA
• Fears that there could be more than 500 victims
• Judge considering a life sentence
• Grant told court ex-wife had planted his DNA at crime scenes
• 'Number of police officers to face misconduct hearings'
• Victims were often blind, deaf or had dementia

Pictured in a hooded coat and hat pulled down to disguise his appearance.
This is the twice married, father-of-nine, Night Stalker Delroy Grant in a surveillance tape released today by the police who tracked him.
Grant was convicted today of being one of the most prolific and depraved sex attackers in British history.

Officers mistakenly ruled him out of their inquiry when the DNA of another suspect with the same name was confused with his.
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Predator: A still image of Delroy Grant approaching an ATM in Honor Oak Park. The pervert would break into homes of the elderly and subject them to sick sexual assaults

In May of that year a witness who saw Grant dressed in a balaclava and acting suspiciously near a property which was later burgled in Bromley, south-east London, handed police his car registration number.
However, police failed to question Grant over his whereabouts that night, instead eliminating another man of the same name from the inquiry.
It is thought a number of police officers will face misconduct proceedings.
The 53-year-old rapist was found guilty of preying on the elderly in a campaign of perverted terror lasting 17 years.

Depraved: Sick Delroy Grant broke into the homes of elderly people and subjected them to terrifying and vile sexual assaults in a 17-year reign of terror across south London 

As he was convicted, police apologised for missing opportunities to catch the beast earlier after it emerged they had failed to pursue vital lines of inquiry that could have led to Grant being apprehended as long ago as 1999.

Manhunt: This police appeal picture shows an officer riding a motorcycle virtually identical to the one used by Delroy Grant

Former minicab driver Grant was responsible for some of the most 'awful and disturbing crimes' ever investigated at Scotland Yard, senior detectives said.
A jury at Woolwich Crown Court convicted him of claiming at least 18 victims - but it is feared the total may be more than 500.
Officially, Grant is suspected of a total of 203 offences but privately detectives believe the number is far greater. They fear many of the unknown victims would have been too ashamed to come forward.
His victims included a small number of elderly men, one of them being a World War Two hero.
Grant, wearing a pinstripe charcoal suit with round neck black jumper, stood motionless in the dock with his head bowed as the foreman of the jury delivered the verdicts.
An elderly victim and several relatives looked on and smiled from the public gallery.
The jury, who had been deliberating for eight hours and 29 minutes, reached a majority of 10 to two on all 29 counts.
Judge Peter Rook said afterwards he was considering a life sentence.
He told Grant: 'You have been convicted of 29 offences of the utmost gravity.
'I am not going to sentence you today because there are various matters that the barristers want to put before me.'

Kit: A blue cagoule and black woolly hat were found by police when they searched Grant's Vauxhall Zafira

Pervert: A crowbar which he had used to enter a house was also found in the boot of the Zafira

Victims may give evidence in court before the sentencing tomorrow morning.
Judge Rook added: 'You should appreciate the sentence you receive will be what is called an indeterminate sentence.'

Apology: Commander Martin Foy said sorry after the conclusion of the case

The term will be 'very long indeed', he added.
The conviction brings to a close a massive manhunt that cost tens of millions of pounds and involved hundreds of officers.
Police missed a key chance to stop Grant in 1999 because of a paperwork blunder, it can now be revealed.
The IPCC launched an inquiry after the concerns of senior Scotland Yard officers were passed to them in February last year.
Commander Simon Foy, head of the Met’s homicide and serious crime command, said Grant was ‘responsible for some of the most disturbing and awful crimes in the history of Scotland Yard’.
And he apologised to Grant victims for failing to stop him earlier: ‘In 1999 there was an opportunity to have identified and apprehended Grant but that opportunity was missed.
‘When this came to light after his arrest we voluntarily referred this matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
‘It is entirely appropriate for the Met to apologise for this missed opportunity that led to his continued offending for so long afterwards.

A still image from CCTV in Shirley on October 29, 2009, from which Grant's Vauxhall Zafira was identified

Car: A still image of Grant's Vauxhall Zafira taken shortly after his arrest in the early hours of November 15, 2009

‘We are deeply sorry for the trauma suffered by all those victims and our failure to bring Grant to justice earlier.’

THE CHARGES

Counts 1 and 2 - Burglary (money, a watch and jewellery) and rape at a home in Shirley between October 10 and 13 1992.
Counts 3, 4 and 5 - Burglary, indecent assault and attempted rape at a home in Warlingham between September 3 and 6 1998.
Count 6 - Burglary (money and jewellery) between June 18 and 21 1999 at property in Beckenham.
Count 7 - Attempted burglary between June 30 and August 1 1999 at a home in Orpington.
Counts 8 and 9 - Burglary (money) and indecent assault at a home in Coulsdon between July 2 and 5 1999.
Counts 10 and 11 - Burglary (money) and indecent assault at a home in Addiscombe between July 10 and 13 1999.
Counts 12 and 13 - Burglary (money and a pension book) and rape at a home in Addiscombe between July 27 and 30 1999.
Count 14 and 15 - Burglary and indecent assault at home in Croydon between August 2 and 5 1999.
Counts 16, 17 and 18 - Burglary, indecent assault and rape at a property in Orpington between August 4 and 7 1999.
Counts 19 and 20 - Burglary and indecent assault at home in Shirley between October 11 and 14 2002.
Count 21 - Burglary of money and jewellery from property in West Dulwich between March 6 and 9 2003.
Count 22 - Burglary of money from a property in Bromley between September 6 and 9 2004.
Count 23 - Burglary of money from a property in Bromley between May 24 and 26 2009.
Count 24 - Burglary at a property in South Croydon between June 4 and 6 2009.
Counts 25 and 26 - Burglary of bank card and sex assault at a property in Thornton Heath, between August 11 and 14 2009.
Count 27 - Burglary of bank card from a property in Forest Hill, between October 16 and 19 2009.
Count 28 - Burglary of handbag and contents from a property in Croydon, between October 27 and 30 2009.
Count 29 - Attempted burglary of property in Croydon, between November 14 and 17 2009.

The police chief branded Grant a 'perverted, callous and violent individual' who attacked some of the most vulnerable people in society.
His crimes were 'some of the most awful and disturbing in the history of the Met,' he added.
'He was also feared by many people living in the same communities and it is not too dramatic to say when he was caught thousands of people in the South East were able to switch out their lights and go to sleep without the dreadful thought they would be preyed upon by Grant.'
Andrew Hadik, a senior Crown Prosecution Service lawyer, condemned Grant for refusing to face up to his crimes.
He said: '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.
'His vicious attacks, masked with a contemptuous politeness towards his victims, traumatised people who should have been enjoying the security and comfort of their own homes.
'The bravery of Grant's victims, who had to relive their ordeal while giving statements to the police and assisting with the investigation, was pivotal in bringing him to justice.
'We thank them for their courage and for helping to put an end to Grant's crimes.'
Between 1992 and 2009 the masked sexual predator preyed on frail men and women in south London and violated them in their homes, sometimes for several hours.
Many of his victims - aged up to 89 - were blind, deaf or had conditions including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Grant targeted detached and semi-detached 1930s houses in leafy suburbs, often levering out double-glazed window units with a crowbar to gain entry.
He was a highly-skilled burglar who carried out daytime reconnaissance.
The hallmark of many of his offences was to remove light bulbs, cut telephone lines, then grab his victims with a gloved hand.
He woke terrified pensioners by shining a torch in their eyes before engaging them in conversation.
Grant then subjected his vulnerable victims to humiliating and degrading sexual assaults for a gratification described in court as impossible to understand.
His 'stuff of nightmares' crime spree sparked an international manhunt by police.
Officers had been hunting the Night Stalker, under the codename Operation Minstead, since 1998 when two rapes were linked to the same attacker.

How the Night Stalker targeted the elderly in South London

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Grant, of Brockley Mews, Honor Oak, eluded capture for years as the tally of victims linked to Minstead soared to 203. The offences took place in areas including Warlingham, Shirley, Beckenham, Bromley, Addiscombe, Orpington and West Dulwich.

Blamed: Delroy Grant blamed his ex-wife Janet Watson, pictured here at court, for planting his DNA at crime scenes

The sex beast's luck finally ran out when police swooped on his car in the early hours of November 15 2009.
More than 70 undercover officers, supported by hidden cameras and a helicopter, staked out several streets in Shirley, near Croydon, in an ambitious operation after Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson called for a 'step change' in the hunt.
Grant, a father of 10 and full-time carer for his estranged wife Jennifer, who has multiple sclerosis and is paralysed, refused to discuss his crimes with police.
But he stunned officers by suggesting they should instead speak to his son.
By the time the case arrived in court more than a year later, he had spun a web of lies in an attempt to get off the hook.
Among a string of 'almost laughable' explanations at Woolwich was his claim that his ex-wife stored his semen in 1977, then waited 15 years to frame him for the crimes.
Jonathan Laidlaw QC, prosecuting, attacked him during cross-examination for making up 'utter, utter rubbish', saying he would stoop to any level to avoid prosecution.
There were raised eyes among the jurors as Grant even claimed DNA could be seen with the human eye.

'A charmer and something of a ladies man': How the Night Stalker led a double life that masked his vile sex crimes

Just hours after his reign of terror came to an end, Night Stalker Delroy Grant joked that police should not bother taking his fingerprints as he 'always wore gloves'.
The 53-year-old confounded senior detectives with his polite and light-hearted manner, which defied the reality that he was a horrifying bogeyman for hundreds of elderly people.
It quickly emerged that Grant would resort to anything to get off the hook - including fitting up his own loved ones.

The home Delroy Grant shared with his wheelchair-bound wife in Brockley, south east London

When officers came in to offer him a can of deodorant in his cell, Grant casually said: 'Have you thought about my son Delroy Junior?'
When asked why his son might be responsible, Grant added: 'He lives in the right area and he is the same height as me.'
Investigators looked on with surprise as their prime suspect sat in Lewisham police station's custody suite chatting happily about the tribulations of his beloved West Indies cricket team.
And as his fingerprints were taken in the early hours of November 15 2009, he blurted out: 'There's no point in doing that - you know I always wore gloves.'
But when the time came for a formal interview, softly-spoken Grant clammed up and refused to say anything other than 'no comment' during several days of questioning.
Nevertheless, the Operation Minstead team were finally able to compare the detailed picture of Grant they had created by interviewing dozens of his victims, meticulously examining his behaviour and even studying his ancestry.
Police were hunting an employed black man, aged between 35 and 45, possibly with experience of caring for the elderly and with a detailed knowledge of the south east London area.
They found Grant was a fit and healthy man who regularly worked out on a punchbag and with weights outside his three-storey, end-of-terrace family home in Honor Oak, south east London.
The former cab driver was employed by Southwark Council as a full-time carer for his second wife Jennifer, who suffers multiple sclerosis and is paralysed from the neck down.
Well-liked by neighbours, the couple had four grown-up children and were a regular feature at barbecues in the quiet cul-de-sac, while Grant sometimes went fishing with friends.
At the time of his arrest, Grant was estranged from his wife but continued to work as her full-time carer and lived at the marital home.
One man said he bought Grant some professional paper targets after watching him use an air rifle to shoot bottles and other objects strung up in trees behind his home.
Grant was a capable cricketer, a sport he learned during his childhood in Jamaica, and played for teams in the Dulwich area of south London, taking 38 wickets as a bowler during the previous season.

Rapist: Grant is suspected of a total of 203 offences but privately detectives believe the number is far greater

And his passion for boxing may have been inspired by sports star Chris Eubank, with whom he became friends in the mid-1990s after Eubank's older brother moved into a property a few doors down the street.
Mrs Grant was a devoted Jehovah's Witness who worshipped at the nearby Kingdom Hall as part of the Forest Hill congregation. Grant joined her and was baptised in the mid-90s, before lapsing.
One detective described Grant as a 'charmer' and 'something of a lady's man' who embarked on a string of extra-marital affairs, some of which led to claims of abuse, bullying and rape.
Police discovered he had at least eight children - seven sons and a daughter - by four different partners.
He was married twice, the first time to Janet Watson in 1975 when he was 19. She later described him as an obsessive. Grant also had four stepchildren: three daughters and a son.
His second wife, a former classroom assistant, was described by friends as a 'strikingly beautiful' and elegant woman before the disabling neurological condition began to take its toll.
At the time of Grant's arrest, he had a girlfriend, aged in her mid-50s, who worked at one of the banks in London's Docklands. He met her several years earlier while working as a minicab driver.
Police found Grant once worked as a carpenter and odd-job man, perhaps explaining his expertise at breaking into houses, removing double-glazed windows and cutting telephone and electricity lines.
And he had a significant criminal history, with 10 convictions between 1975 and 1991, including criminal damage, fraud and attempting to rob a post office in East Dulwich in 1980, for which he was jailed for two years.
After his arrest, police also found he was in financial trouble, with a £20,000 county court judgment against him in December 2008, explaining why he increasingly stole from victims.
During the Night Stalker inquiry, police focused on comments he made to one victim in 2004, claiming that his mother died four years earlier and was let down by the government.
After his arrest, police found Grant's mother Vida was living in the Los Angeles area.
He might have been referring to his grandmother, who brought him up from the age of two until he travelled to Britain in 1972.