E17 rapist and murderer convicted after a decade on the run

A man who fled to India after raping three women and raping and murdering a fourth

Aman Vyas, 35, was convicted of the 2009 rape and murder of 35-year-old Michelle Samaraweera on Thursday, as well as raping three other women during a three-month spree which saw him dubbed the E-17 Night Stalker

He was convicted of a total of five counts of rape, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and murder, after previously pleading guilty to a separate count of rape.

Aman Vyas, 35, was convicted of the 2009 rape and murder of 35-year-old Michelle Samaraweera on Thursday, as well as raping three other women during a three-month spree which saw him dubbed the E-17 Night Stalker

Vyas spotted Michelle Samaraweera entering a store in Walthamstow, East London on May 30, 2009. The-then 24-year-old stalked women in the E-17 area

Michelle Samaraweera, 35, pictured, was raped and murdered in a church graveyard by Vyas within three months of his first rape

Jurors at Croydon Crown Court were told Vyas turned a small area near his home in Walthamstow, east London, into his 'hunting ground' for a 'series of violent rapes' between March and May 2009.

Prosecutor Tom Little QC dubbed Vyas 'the E17 night stalker' during the trial.

Jurors were told Ms Samaraweera, Vyas's fourth victim, was attacked shortly after visiting a supermarket at around 1am on May 30, 2009.

Vyas raped and strangled the 35-year-old in a children's playground, where her body was discovered by a dog walker shortly after 5.15am.

Mr Little told the jury Vyas 'accepts' he did have sex with Ms Samaraweera, but claimed it was consensual and that she 'died accidentally during their sexual activity'.

He was also convicted of raping three other women whose ages range from 35 to 59 in March and April 2009.

His semen was linked to the four attacks and scientific evidence also connected him to the victims' clothing.

Vyas evaded justice for more than a decade, leaving Britain just weeks after his deadly attack on Ms Samaraweera.

Vyas, pictured in the store at the same time as Ms Samaraweera was recognised by his former employer when he saw a poster featuring the killer's image

But after a 2010 police appeal which included CCTV images of a person of interest in the investigation, Vyas' former employer contacted the authorities.

Officers took more than 1,100 DNA swabs from people who matched the suspect's description.

Almost 61,000 posters were sent to addresses around Walthamstow in an effort to identify the supsect - including Vyas's image taken from CCTV in the shop used by his final victim.

This prompted Vyas's former employer to contact detectives as he recognised his 'distinctive jacket'.

The man told detectives Vyas had left the country in July 2009, but said a relative of the murder worked for him.

The employer handed detectives a water bottle used by Vyas's relative and they were able to prove a 'familial DNA link' between the relative and the suspect.

According to Scotland Yard: 'It was established that on 2 July 2009, a month after Ms Samaraweera's murder and just a few days after a Crimewatch appeal about the case, Vyas purchased a one-way ticket to India, leaving the same day.

'A manhunt commenced to find Vyas and extradite him back to the UK. In 2011, enquiries revealed at one stage that Vyas was in New Zealand, he then made his way to Singapore and the trail went cold.

It was on 4 July 2011 that police were informed by Indian authorities that they had arrested Vyas, an Indian national, at New Delhi Airport in India as he tried to take an outbound flight.'

The employer said he continued to employ a relative of Vyas and supplied detectives with a water bottle used by the person. Forensic officers were able to take DNA from the bottle to provide a familial match with Vyas

Met detectives were able to return Vyas to the UK on October 4, 2019. He was arrested as soon as he landed at Heathrow Airport and remanded in custody until his trial.

Aisling Hosein, from the CPS, said: 'This has been a long and arduous journey for the victims and their families who have waited more than a decade for Aman Vyas to be held accountable for his depraved actions.

'These were violent attacks by a sexual predator who prowled Walthamstow by night looking for lone women.

'I would like to highlight the courage of the victims who came forward to assist in bringing this man to justice and those that bravely gave evidence in court against their attacker.

'I would also like to thank all the criminal justice partners involved in extraditing Vyas.

'I hope today's verdict will provide some comfort to the victims and their families - and in particular for the loved ones of Michelle Samaraweera, who were finally able to get justice for her murder. Our thoughts remain with them all at this time.'

Detective Sergeant Shaleena Sheikh, who handled the case, said: 'There has been a long wait for justice in this case but finally the victims and their families have seen the person responsible brought to account. Vyas did all he could to avoid responsibility for his crimes. He fled abroad and then added to the distress of those he hurt by making them go through the ordeal of a trial. However, the injuries Vyas inflicted told the true story of this violent criminal and the jury have seen right through his lies.

'Although we had DNA from the scenes of his crimes, Vyas was not on the DNA database and was a complete stranger to his victims; to bring him to justice required an extraordinary investigation. This case lasted more than ten years, needed enquiries in many different countries and finally a lengthy extradition process.

'The sheer scale of the investigation was also remarkable. There were extensive media appeals, and thousands of homes and businesses were contacted, in person or through leaflets. Thousands of men volunteered to assist by voluntarily giving DNA. I would like to personally like to thank all those who helped, it was through those extensive efforts that Vyas was finally identified and brought to justice.

'Vyas's crimes were wicked and relentless and I am thankful that such violent predators are rare. To anyone who is the victim of sexual assault or violent crime, this case shows the determination of the Met to bring those responsible to justice. If you are a victim of sexual crime, please tell us - you will be supported.'

Vyas will now be sentenced on August 21 at Croydon Crown Court.