Victoria Park rape: Derry McCann from Hackney sentenced to life imprisonment

A man who carried out vicious rape hours before he was due to get married has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Derry McCann, 28 of St Peters Way, Hackney, was given a minimum term of nine years at Snaresbrook Crown Court today.

He pleaded guilty in March to three counts of rape and one count of robbery, having raped his victim in Victoria Park in the early hours of January 13 – hours before marrying his pregnant fiancée.

The woman was walking home after a night out with friends when he dragged her into bushes.

He played “mind games” with her – photographing her, and stealing her bra and mobile phone.

When the ordeal was over, McCann took photos of his victim and said that she was lucky that he did not video it.

The Parole Board is investigating the decision to free him from prison in 2015 after he was jailed for life in December 2006 for raping a woman in Mile End Park when he was 17.

During his sentencing in that case, judge Lindsay Burn said McCann’s behaviour amounted to “torture” and told him: “There’s a substantial risk you will commit further serious offences in the future.”

But his minimum nine-year sentence was cut on appeal in 2008 to seven-and-a-half years, after which he was transferred to an open prison for the remainder of his term.

Before his release, the Parole Board assessed the risk he posed to the public and decided he presented no serious harm.

Det Sgt Stephen Porter from the Met’s sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse command said the long sentence is “completely deserved”:

“I am sure he set out that night to carry out a sexual assault; the public needs to be protected from such predators.

“This was a truly dreadful crime. McCann put his victim through a horrendous ordeal and her courage and bravery have been a stark contrast to McCann’s cowardly and vicious attack.

“Thankfully her courage meant that the offender was swiftly arrested and brought to justice.”