A citizen of the United States of America - Pierre Antoine Bate, has been jailed at the Southwark Crown Court in London, for a rape committed in 1996.
42-year-old Bate, was convicted after a jury found him guilty following a two week trial for rape and burglary with intent to rape. He was sentenced to 24 years' imprisonment.
Pierre Antoine Bate
Pierre Antoine Bate
Bate was extradited from America on 23 February 2016 after an investigation by officers from the Met's Cold Case Review Team linked him to the offence via contemporary DNA enquiries.
During the early hours of 22 July 1996 in Thornton Heath, the victim awoke at around 1.15am to find Bate in her bedroom staring at her.
To control her, he stated that a friend of his was with her children in the room next door. He then placed his arm across her throat and raped and indecently assaulted her several times until 2.45am when he fled the scene and the victim was able to call police.
An investigation followed by local detectives. A partial DNA profile was recovered but at that time it wasn't enough to identify a suspect.
In 2011, a forensic review of the investigation was conducted. An examination using enhanced DNA techniques took place on material originally taken at the time of the original investigation.
As a result, a new DNA profile was obtained and compared against the national DNA database. Following this, Bate was identified.
A DNA profile for Bate was on the database as a result of his identification, and subsequent conviction in 2008, following a 2004 cold case investigation of a sexual offence committed in Kentish Town in 1995.
Bate had been extradited from the US to the UK for this 2008 trial and was subsequently sentenced to 26 months' imprisonment and on release eventually returned to the US.
Detective Sergeant Karen Bradley, Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: "The victim has shown huge courage in supporting our investigation and the court case, after a vicious and prolonged attack in her home with her children asleep close by.
"I would appeal for any victims of sexual assault to come forward safe in the knowledge they will be listened to and have their allegations fully investigated. We are committed to bringing perpetrators of rape and sexual offences to justice."
Anyone who wishes to report an offence is asked to contact 101. In an emergency always call 999.