Life-term for Indian guilty of rape, murder in London

Aman Vyas, who was extradited from India to the UK in October 2019 to face charges of rape and murder of a woman and rape of three other women in 2009, was on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment.

Vyas, 36, was sentenced at the Croydon Crown Court to 37 years, less time already served in custody, both in England and in India, making his time to serve from sentencing as 34 years and 312 days.

He was also sentenced as follows: for grievous bodily harm with intent: 14 years; for the rape of a woman: 16 years and five months; for the rape of a second woman: 18-and-a-half years; for the rape of a third woman: 18-and-a-half years; and for the rape of a woman named as Michelle Samaraweera (who was also killed) : 18-and-a-half years.

All the sentences are to run concurrently with the sentence for murder, Scotland Yard said. Vyas, who was found guilty on in the high court on July 30, carried out the offences in locations across Walthamstow in north London between March 24, 2009 and May 30, 2009.

The court was told how as a 24-year-old at the time he would go out in the early hours of the morning looking for lone women to target. The police reached a breakthrough after an image of the suspect was circulated in posters posted to addresses in the area in November 2010.

A man recognised the suspect as a former employee of his and contacted the police, identified the suspect as Vyas and explained that he left the country in July 2009, adding that a family member still worked for him.

It was established that in July 2009, a month after Samaraweera’s murder and a few days after a television 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, inquiries revealed that at one stage that Vyas was in New Zealand, he then made his way to Singapore and the trail went cold. It was on July 4, 2011 that the police were informed by Indian authorities that they had arrested Vyas at New Delhi airport as he tried to take an outbound flight.

Extradition proceedings commenced at that time but it was not until October 4, 2019 that British police officers escorted him from the Indira Gandhi Airport in new Delhi to Heathrow that he was arrested.

Detective sergeant Shaleena Sheikh, said: “We are pleased with today’s sentence which reflects the gravity of Vyas’s crimes. At last the victims and their families have seen the man responsible for such terrible crimes brought to justice. This is a long sentence that recognises the cruelty and depravity of Vyas’s actions”.

“Vyas carried out horrific and violent attacks on three women which, tragically, culminated in the murder of Michelle Samaraweera. He then did all he could to evade responsibility for his crimes and fled to India. He added further distress to those he hurt by subjecting them to a trial”.

Samaraweera’s sister, Ann, added: “Aman Vyas has had over 11 years to come clean and admit to raping and murdering my sister, and even longer to admit to all the other heinous crimes committed against all the other innocent victims”.

“He has also had all this time to reflect on his own life and address the issues that have turned him into the monster that he is but he didn’t. Instead he has lied and fabricated stories for his own benefit. He will never understand what he put my mother, sisters, children, loved ones, friends and myself through”.

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