A serial rapist who murdered a woman who was found bound and gagged in a lake over three decades ago will die in jail after being sentenced to at least 30 years behind bars.
Serial attacker Donald Robertson, 66, was charged last year with what became known as the ‘Lady in the Lake’ murder after a police cold case team found new DNA evidence linking him to the death of Shani Warren in April 1987.
Sentencing him today, Mr Justice Wall said: ‘You are a self-centred man who cares nothing for the feelings of others.’
Robertson is already behind bars for sexual offences and shamefully refused to come to court for his trial.
The body of 26-year-old Ms Warren, who lived in Stoke Poges in Buckinghamshire, was found in Taplow Lake on the Easter weekend of 1987.
Her car had been abandoned in a layby on the A4, with bin bags containing remnants of grass from Ms Warren having recently mowed the lawn, and an Easter egg in the driver’s footwell.
During the trial jurors heard how the original Home Office pathologist, Dr Benjamin Davis, concluded that Shani could have killed herself, based on the looseness of the ties on her hands and the lack of evidence of a physical assault, despite there being clear ligature marks around her neck.
Police were still suspicious, but had no evidence to charge, which meant Robertson was free to carry on his appalling attacks on lone women.
Robertson did not attend his trial and the dock at Reading Crown Court was empty on Tuesday as a jury found him guilty.
He was convicted of the false imprisonment, indecent assault and murder of Ms Warren between April 16 and 19 – her wrists having been tied with a car jump lead and ankles bound by a tow rope.
He was also found guilty of the kidnap and rape of a 16-year-old girl, who cannot be identified, on July 16 1981.
Police described ‘evil’ Robertson as someone with a ‘long and horrific list of previous convictions’ and said it is ‘a regret’ there was not enough evidence at the time to charge him with the teenage girl’s rape in Farnham Lane, Slough.
Just days after being released by police in connection with that offence, Robertson raped a 14 year-old girl who had been riding her bicycle in Farnham Royal, a crime to which he pleaded guilty in October 1981.
In a similar vein, less than two months after attacking and killing Ms Warren and only a few miles from Taplow Lake, he raped a 17-year-old girl who was walking home having missed the last train.
He is currently behind bars for that crime, having been convicted in 2010 after the incident was reviewed by the police’s cold case team.
The prosecution said new DNA evidence was the ‘cornerstone’ of the latest case against Robertson – with traces matching his found on the underwear of both victims as well as on a mouth gag used on Ms Warren.
Police said they were sorry it had taken so long to bring her attacker to justice, but that the case coming to court was down to advancements in forensic science.
Mr Justice Wall, who presided over the trial, thanked jurors for deliberating on a ‘difficult and traumatic’ case and told them he needed to consider whether to recommend Robertson is ‘never released’ before passing sentence.
Principle investigator Beirne said outside court there may be lessons to be learned.
He added: ‘I’m really pleased we managed to secure the conviction. I wasn’t involved in the original 1987 investigation, however, I’ve spoken to numerous officers that were involved and they’re all delighted that finally it was proven that Shani was murdered, and that Donald Robertson was responsible.
‘We’re very pleased and very relieved. With all cases like these, whilst you’re pleased with the result, the overriding sensation is of relief – finally, we have the person responsible, we have enough evidence to get him before a court, and the jury has decided there was sufficient evidence to convict.
‘Re-investigation into Shani’s case is the same as all old unresolved murders – we did an assessment of what retained material we had, and what the forensic potential might be.
Several items were submitted for reexamination over a number of years, but only in early 2020 the mouth gag and the tapings were submitted for re-examination to forensic scientists.
‘The results produced a DNA profile that, when searched against the national DNA database, matched that of Donald Robertson. Prior to that date, he had never been a suspect in the Shani Warren case.
‘Having the defendant tried and sentenced in their absence is something I’ve not experienced before, however, it’s his [Robertson’s] decision not to come to court – every opportunity was made to try and get him to court.
‘If he declines to come then he can’t be forced to – the trial judge had to abide by that decision, even though Shani’s family were frustrated by the fact that he wasn’t ‘man enough’ to come and hear what he is accused of.
‘I think justice has been served – although Robertson is serving a life sentence at the moment, it is a life sentence with a minimum term – that minimum term had passed, so he was liable to apply for parole.
‘He applied once prior to our investigation identifying him, and had we not charged and convicted him, there would have been potential for him to be successful in any future parole hearing. Also, because it helps to answer some of the questions for Shani’s family.
‘For 35 years they haven’t known what happened to her. There were question marks that she may have committed suicide, but now the court has decided that she had been murdered, but more importantly that Donald Robertson was responsible for her death.’
The investigator added: ‘I don’t think more could have been done by Thames Valley Police in 1987 – from the papers I’ve seen, it was a full and thorough investigation.
‘It was slightly tainted by the original forensic pathologist, in that they ruled she may have committed suicide, but that obviously wasn’t the case as now proven.
‘You have to consider how things were in 1987 – There was no CCTV, no ANPR, and very few mobile phones, so all evidence detectives had was live evidence from witnesses that saw Shani and the offender – they were very limited on what they had to go on.
‘The original investigators were really hampered with what they had to go on – additionally, forensic science in 1987 is not what it is now.
‘DNA evidence was in its infancy In 1987 – you would have to have a sample the size of a 10p piece to have a DNA profile, whereas now we can get DNA samples from much smaller items of bodily fluids.
‘With any investigation, lessons are learned through experience.
Robbie Weber of the Crown Prosecution Service said: ‘Donald Robertson is a dangerous and deadly predatory sex offender who attacked women over almost three decades, using violent threats to get what he wanted.
‘In the case of Shani Warren, he went as far as to take her life.
‘Advances in forensic science led to a breakthrough in the unsolved cases of Ms Warren’s death and the sexual attack on another young girl, with new compelling DNA evidence clearly linking Robertson to both crimes.
‘This evidence played a vital part in the case that we presented at trial which has today resulted in guilty verdicts.
‘Our thoughts are with Ms Warren’s loved ones and the other victim in this case who have waited many years to see justice served.’