Brighton murderer convicted of rape

A Brighton man convicted of murder this year has now also been convicted of raping a woman less than six weeks earlier.

Neil McMillan, 42, of Bennett Road, Brighton, raped a 27-year-old woman in a hotel in Brighton on Saturday 5 September last year.

A jury unanimously found him guilty of the rape after a six-day trial at the Central Criminal Court – known as the Old Bailey – in London.

McMillan was sentenced to 22 years in prison in June for the murder of Andrea Waddell, 29, on Thursday 15 October last year.

She was working as a prostitute when McMillan strangled her at her flat in Upper Lewes Road, Brighton.

The rape had gone unreported to police at the time but, during the murder investigation, scenes of crime officers found a bloodstained sock in McMillan’s rented home.

The blood proved to be that of the 27-year old rape victim.

Sussex Police detectives traced her from her DNA and discovered what had happened to her and she agreed to give evidence.

Detective Inspector David Wardley-Wilkins said: “We are glad that justice has been served for the victim in this case too.

“As soon as we identified her blood we started an investigation and were able to support her in giving evidence.

“Sussex Police take all cases of rape seriously, whatever the circumstances, and we were determined to do what we could to follow this up.”

McMillan is due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Monday 22 November.