Revealed: Man who led the attack on Ealing vicarage rape survivor Jill Saward died four years before her

  • Robert Horscroft led the gang who attacked the Ealing vicarage in March 1986
  • Two of the gang members brutally raped the then 21-year-old Jill Saward 
  • A third gang member beat her father Canon Michael Seward, and her boyfriend
  • Horscroft received the longest jail term even though he did not rape Ms Seward 

By Darren Boyle for MailOnline

Published: 06:32 EST, 8 January 2017 | Updated: 08:34 EST, 8 January 2017

The man who led the gang who attacked Ealing vicarage rape survivor Jill Saward is also dead, it has emerged. 

Ringleader Robert Horscroft was jailed for 14 years for leading the gang during the brutal robbery, even though he did not rape the then 21-year-old vicar's daughter. 

He died in Medway, Kent, in February 2012. 

Jill Saward, left, met with the ringleader of the gang, Robert Horscroft, right, in July 1998.  Horscroft did not rape Ms Saward but received the longest jail term of the gang in 1986

Jill Seward, pictured with her father, Canon Michael Saward, in 1990, died on Thursday 

Ms Saward is survived by husband Gavin Drake, pictured, and her three sons

Ms Saward, pictured in 2000, was the first rape victim in Britain to waive her anonymity 

Horscroft's accomplices, Martin McCall and Christopher Byrne, both 22, were jailed for five years and three years for the rape. Byrne received two years longer for the aggravated burglary. 

Ms Saward died on Thursday aged 51 of a brain haemmorrhage after spending the past 30 years campaigning on behalf of rape victims. 

Ms Saward met Horscroft in 1998 after his release from jail. She forgave the burglar who led the gang who attacked her because he did not harm her himself. 

She never forgave his two accomplices. 

According to The Sun,  Horscroft married Catherine Marley in 1998 and lived in a housing association flat in Chatham, Kent.

Since his death, Ms Marley has since remarried. 

She said: 'Robert died four years ago. I don’t want to talk about it'. 

After his release from prison, Chris Byrne changed his name to Chris Lennard. He died aged 44 in June 2009. He was living in Harrow, north west London at the time.

Jill Saward was raped at St Mary's Vicarage in Ealing in March 1986, pictured 

Martin McCall, right, was brought to Hornsey coroners court in September 1991 for the inquest of fellow gang member Andrew Bryne, who was beaten up and later died while on remand

On the night of the attack in 1986, Ms Saward's father, Canon Michael Saward opened the door of the vicarage in Ealing. 

The gang burst in and tied up Canon Saward and his daughter's boyfriend David Kerr. 

One of the gang attacked Mr Kerr and Canon Saward with a cricket bat. 

Speaking following her death, Mr Kerr said he was distraught following her death aged 51. 

He said: 'Speaking out and campaigning for other women can't have been easy, always being reminded of her own rape, and I sometimes wonder what toll that must have taken on her. 

'I am distraught over Jill's death so young. She was so brave and strong. I feel I should have died instead of her.

'She once said that by talking about her ordeal, she was able to bury it, but I was never able to do that. I am constantly anxious and paranoid, hyper-vigilant for the next attack. It still haunts me to this day.'

He suffered a fractured skull and blood clot to the brain. He has suffered mental health problems and is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.  

KEY FIGURES IN THE ATTACK

Father: Canon Michael Saward

THE FATHER

Extraordinarily, Canon Michael Saward continued living in the vicarage for 13 years after the attack. He went on to become canon treasurer of St Paul’s Cathedral. The composer of more than 100 hymns, and a regular letter writer to newspapers, he died two years ago aged 82. 

THE RINGLEADER

Robert Horscroft, 34, got by far the longest sentence, 14 years for burglary – despite not being involved in the rape. His past record for burglary was considered particularly serious by the judge. Released in 1996 after ten years in prison, Horscroft met Miss Saward for two hours in 1998 and sought forgiveness. He was last known to be living in a council flat.

FIRST RAPIST

Martin McCall, a 22-year-old drug addict, got just five years for raping Miss Saward at knifepoint, with another five for burglary. He was released in 1993, after serving only five years and eight months inside, and worked as a security guard, including at the BBC. It emerged he had been working for the corporation days before presenter Jill Dando was murdered in 1999.

Martin McCall, a 22-year-old drug addict, got just five years for raping Miss Saward at knifepoint, with another five for burglary. Pictured, McCall in police custody

CRICKET BAT THUG

Andrew Byrne was known to have battered Miss Saward’s father and boyfriend with a cricket bat as they lay face down. But his full role in the attack alongside his brother was never fully explained as he died before standing trial. Following his arrest, he was beaten so severely by a fellow inmate at Wormwood Scrubs that he never recovered consciousness and died aged 29 in December 1990.

SECOND RAPIST

Christopher Byrne, 22, received five years for burglary – two more than his sentence for rape. He changed his name after leaving prison and married Maria Petrou in 1993. They had a daughter, but Miss Petrou fled and subsequently killed herself after learning his identity. He died in 2009 and was living in Harrow, north west London. 

Christopher Byrne, pictured, died in June 2009 in Harrow, north west London

The judge: Sir John Leonard

THE JUDGE

Sir John Leonard is said to have regretted to the end of his life ‘the one great blemish’ on his career, his comment that Jill Saward’s suffering ‘had not been so great’. He said: ‘I would be very sad to be remembered as the vicarage rape case judge.’ But his words and the lenient sentences he passed shadowed him to the grave. When he retired in 1993 he made a public apology to Miss Saward. He died in 2002 aged 76.

THE BOYFRIEND

David Kerr, 21 at the time, bravely struggled with the gang as they beat him with a cricket bat, fracturing his skull and leaving him permanently deaf in one ear. He split from Miss Saward several months later. She had talked of forgiveness and faith, while he could not believe a God would allow something so evil. He ran a business, married and had two children. In 1998, then living in Essex, he told the Daily Mail that he never shared the need to forgive ‘those animals’ and ‘would still want to kill them’.

 

Comments (27)

Share what you think

 View all

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

 View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now