'EVIL' SEX ATTACKER PUT BACK ON STREETS; Man raped woman nine times after twice being set free by courts.

Byline: JEANETTE OLDHAM

AN INQUIRY is underway after an 'unremittingly evil' sex attacker raped a woman nine times - after TWICE being freed by the courts.

Benjamin O'Meally, 51, was under close supervision by the probation service, and had earlier been under constant police surveillance, because of fears that he would strike again.

Yet despite breaching his Sex Offences Prevention Order three times, he was twice freed by a court - and raped his victim just days later.

The pervert, who carried out his first sex attack at the age of just 14, has now been jailed for life.

But West Midlands Police is carrying out an internal management review into the circumstances surrounding the chilling case.

Chief Inspector Mark Payne said: "He is the most manipulative, deceitful predator. An evil man, unremittingly evil."

O'Meally's catalogue of crimes have included multiple rapes, kidnap, indecent assault and false imprisonment.

He would stalk his victims, often hunting down and pouncing on lone women as they made their way home. Characterised by merciless violence, his attacks involved him repeatedly hitting women to silence their screams.

O'Meally was jailed for 13 years in 1998 for kidnapping and raping a 29 year-old mother-of-three who had been working as a prostitute.

But he was let out early in April 2007, on the basis that he would be kept under close watch.

He was put under intense police surveillance and probationary supervision. His licence conditions included a ban on entering red light districts and a curfew.

But a month after his release he broke the conditions and was recalled to jail.

When he was released again in May 2008, the serial rapist was living at Sycamore Lodge bail hostel in Clay Lane, Langley - just yards from a school.

O'Meally was made subject of a Sex Offences Prevention Order (SOPO). He was monitored as a level three offender under special arrangements, known as Mappa, aimed at those posing the greatest reoffending risk.

The SOPO conditions ADVICE: Michael again included a curfew, a ban on owning a mobile phone and he was barred from entering certain areas.

Chief Insp Payne added: "When he was released, he was subjected to intensive, sustained and intrusive supervision from Mappa agencies, particularly police and probation.

"An unprecedented level of work was done to attempt to prevent him from re-offending." Yet O'Meally breached his SOPO within weeks - entering a red light district and hiding a mobile phone in his bail hostel room.

But instead of being sentenced to a new lengthy prison sentence he was freed twice by the courts.

Judge Challinor He was given a suspended 51-week jail term in August 2008 for one breach. Then, on October 21, he received a new tenweek suspended sentence for another breach when he appeared before Wolverhampton Crown Court Judge Michael Challinor.

The judge would have based his decision not to jail O'Meally on reports drawn up by Mappa agencies, particularly West Midlands Probation Service.

But the decision meant that the serial rapist walked free - and he raped his victim, a vulnerable Black Country mother, for the first time just days later.

Harrowing In total he raped the woman on nine occasions over two months, including several times on a canal towpath.

The sex monster was finally jailed for life at Wolverhampton Crown Court in September after a jury heard harrowing evidence from his last victim.

Weeping, she told how she was forced into having sex with O'Meally, who threatened to kill her if she refused.

On one occasion, he pushed her head into the canal, knowing she was terrified of water, until she submitted and did what he wanted.

The multiple rapist had "groomed and stalked" his victim after meeting her when he was released early on licence in 2007. After he was temporarily recalled to jail, he had bombarded her with letters and phone calls.

Chief Insp Payne added: "Unfortunately, when dealing with a man as cunning and manipulative and deceitful as Benjamin O'Meally, despite the huge and intensive measures taken, he was able to groom and rape the victim in this case.

"Despite being exposed to O'Meally's manipulation and grooming techniques, with a great deal of support the victim was brave enough stand up in court and saw O'Meally returned to jail for life."

Wolverhampton Crown Court Judge Hilary Watson said O'Meally must serve a minimum of nine years, nine months. She branded the monster a "danger to all women" and said his depravity knew no bounds. "I regard you as a wholly dangerous individual," she told him. "You inflicted extreme sexual violence to your vulnerable victim." Back in 1998 O'Meally was jailed for attacking the mum-ofthree but he had previously been released early from another prison sentence for a similar attack. He had grabbed his 29 year-old victim and dragged her through bushes where he carried out horrific and violent sexual and physical assaults which lasted several hours. The terrified mum was slapped, bitten and repeatedly hit - and even had a cigarette stubbed out on her back.

O'Meally had also been found guilty of kidnapping and sexually assaulting an 18 year-old student in the same month. West Midlands Probation insisted that when the rapist was released on licence in 2007, he had served two-thirds of his sentence and his release at that point was automatic under the law.

"Our sympathies are with the victim of this horrific crime," said a spokeswoman. "But the offender alone is responsible for these terrible actions.

"The offender was complying with his probation requirements, including curfew, but unfortunately risk can never be eliminated entirely. "As with any case, a review has been carried out to see if any lessons can be learned and it was found that overall the case had been managed to a sufficient standard by probation.'' [e-mail]

CAPTION(S):

ADVICE: Judge Michael Challinor PROTEST: Langley residents have held demonstrations against the Sycamore Lodge hostel - where O'Meally was staying PREDATOR: Benjamin O'Meally