A man who raped a teenage girl in Bedfordshire almost two decades ago has been found guilty, following a DNA breakthrough that linked him to the offence after years of investigation.
Kennedy Jimmy, 44, was convicted of rape at Luton Crown Court after a five-day trial. The attack took place on 7 October 2006, when Jimmy — then 25 — met the teenage victim and her friend in a supermarket car park in Shefford.
The court heard that Jimmy arrived in a car driven by a friend. When the others went into the shop, he pulled the girl into the back seat and raped her. The victim escaped and fled to a nearby pub, where her friend called police.
Despite extensive enquiries at the time, the attacker — known only as “Kenny” — could not be identified. But in November 2022, as part of Operation Painter, a review of non-recent rape and sexual assault cases by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, investigators found a DNA match that led them to Jimmy.
Detective Chief Inspector [Name], from the Major Crime Unit, said:
“This case highlights our determination to bring perpetrators of sexual violence to justice, no matter how much time has passed. We want all survivors to know they will be believed, supported, and that justice is possible.”
Jimmy will be sentenced on 23 December.
Police said the case forms part of a wider strategy to tackle male violence against women and girls (MVAWG) and to improve women’s safety across Bedfordshire and beyond