SERIAL rapist Antoni Imiela was a violent armed robber jailed for 14 years for a string of offences, it has been revealed.

In May 1988 Imiela, then aged 34, admitted the one-man robbing spree in which he stole thousands of pounds in raids in the North East and London.

He served eight years behind bars before his release in 1996, when he moved to Appledore in Kent.

After Imiela was given seven life sentences, Kent police's senior investigating officer, Supt Colin Murray, said: "I am delighted, and I'm delighted for the families they are the ones who count in all of this and they are so relieved it's all over.

"I cannot look at him without feeling really angry because he is a coward who can attack and rape young girls and women. He thought he was above the law."

The man who eventually caught Imiela following his 18-month spree of violence, the then Det Insp Arthur Proud, described him as a “mysterious deep and dangerous” man.

Now a retired chief superintendent, he said: “He was arrogant, smug and always thought of himself as a brilliant get away driver.

“While I always thought he would follow a life of crime I was totally surprised when I learned of his involvement in the latest type of violent offending.”

Imiela had evaded attempts to capture him, as officers raided properties in his home town of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, and he even managed to slip through an armed police cordon before he gave himself up.

Imiela’s first robbery was a Darlington post office in February 1987. Masked and armed with a sawn-off shotgun he stole £10,000 after threatening to blow members of staff’s heads off in the raid.

It is believed he fled his County Durham come and headed for Europe to spend the cash.

He returned in October of the same year and once again began offending. He stole a car and drove to a village sub-post office in County Durham, where he fired a shot in to the ceiling when a member of staff refused to hand over cash. He eventually fled empty handed.

In November Imiela carried out a further six robberies or attempted robberies. He stole almost £3,000 in Surbiton, London, and then clubbed an elderly man over the head with his shotgun who refused to hand over keys to a vehicle.

A few weeks later he stole £570 in a building society raid in County Durham and on the same day failed in an attempt to rob his home town post office in Newton Aycliffe.

Imiela escaped with more than £3,680 from a Tyne and Wear post office on November 27. Just four days earlier he had attempted to raid a post office in Leeds.

His next target was an off-licence in Hammersmith, London on New Year’s Eve where he fled with £850.

When he appeared at Teesside Crown Court in 1988 he also asked for offences of burglary and vehicle taking to be taken in to consideration.

Mr Proud said: “I always thought he would fall in with the wrong people in prison and become part of an organised robbery team. He had no fear of going in to situations or trying to get away from police.”