A fitter has been convicted of raping a cancer patient, brutally beating her and hacking out chunks of her hair - after which he returned to the scene to comfort her.

Richard Day

A jury at Oxford Crown Court yesterday unanim- ously convicted Richard Day, 21, a floor fitter, of Greenmere, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, near Wallingford, of two counts of rape.

He was all in black and had worn a balaclava to disguise himself as he dragged the 20-year-old from a Didcot house while she was babysitting for a friend on May 18.

He kept silent as he tied her up, raped her twice, hacked at her hair and shaved her eyebrows, before putting threatening text messages on her mobile phone.

The victim has since died of cancer, from which she suffered for several years.

Dr Jane Mortensen told the court the deceased's injuries had been among the worst she had seen in nine years of rape examination work.

The court was told that Day meticulously planned the attack after becoming obsessed that the woman's hair, which had recently grown back after chemotherapy, was attracting interest.

He had tried to cover his tracks by comforting her, and claimed he had seen someone running from the house who must have been the rapist.

Police became suspicious after his sister found a used condom in his bedroom at her Didcot house, where he was living at the time.

Forensic scientist Jennifer Lewis confirmed the condom contained traces of his sperm and the victim's blood.

Clothing found in his bedroom included a balaclava.

As part of his cover-up plan, Day told police he had two threatening letters sent before the rape, apparently from the rapist.

He also claimed to have a hidden a letter from police that he found at the scene of the rape because he planned to use it to track down the attacker himself.

Speaking after the verdict Det Supt Jill Simpson, of Thames Valley Police, said: "He subjected her to a terrifying and humiliating ordeal and has shown no remorse or guilt.

"The verdict is testament to the victim's courage and determination."

Day is expected to be sentenced on February 21.

The victim's family were not available to comment after the verdict.

But a handwriting specialist told the court his writing matched that used in the letters.