TO THE outside world, he seemed a high-flying city banker, oozing charm and confidence.
But, for more than 20 years, Brian Witty had been a serial rapist, targeting women across the country.
His victims thought he was charming but, once alone with them, he became a violent sex attacker.
City banker Brian Witty, 42, was jailed for a minimum of eight years last year for three rapes and one sexual assault on a total of four women between 1995 and 2011.
The arrogant city banker from Hull thought he would never be caught until, one by one, his victims began to come forward.
During the trial last year, one Hull woman broke her silence to approach criminal prosecutors and police.
For 16 years, she had suffered in silence after he raped her at a friend's house.
Thinking she would not be believed, she never reported it but after seeing him on trial attacking four other women he had met in dating sites, she felt compelled to take action.
The woman, now 35, said: "I saw reports of the trial and I wanted to give people in Hull the opportunity to realise that Witty had raped other people so if they had been affected it would give them a chance to come forward.
"I knew the women in the trial were telling the truth because he had done the same thing to me.
"I contacted the legal team during his last trial to tell them and I then made a formal complaint.
"For me, it was all about making other people aware he had done this to me as well after I realised he was a serial rapist. It was important to me to make sure he had to answer for this.
"I wanted to make sure he was locked up to keep him off the streets and away from other people."
Another victim also came forward who had been attacked by Witty at the University of Hull after hearing about his first trial.
Witty was then charged with three more rapes and, this week, he was jailed for life as the jury convicted him on all counts.
The first woman said: "I wanted to make sure his sentence reflected what he had done.
"He has never shown any remorse. He has put all his victims through the trauma of having to live through all this again in court.
"He is a career rapist.
"When the verdict came, I felt relieved. I didn't celebrate, I just wanted the knowledge that he will be going to prison for a longer time.
"I now know the public will be safer and he will not be able to hurt anyone else again."
Witty attacked her in December 1997, when she was just 19. She was staying with Witty's sister at her home in Hull after they had gone out for an evening together.
The woman was sleeping on a sofa downstairs while Witty was upstairs in a spare bedroom.
The former soldier came downstairs in the night and pulled the sleeping victim from the sofa on to the floor, where he raped her.
The first of the latest offences of which Witty has been convicted happened in 1989, when he was 19.
He met his victim, also 19, while they were both A-level students at the same college in Hull.
They both later began studies at different universities in Liverpool. In October that year, Witty traced the victim to her halls of residence, came to her room unexpectedly and raped her.
During the attack, he punched her repeatedly. Witty struck again twice in 1997, when he was 27.
He carried out another attack on a third woman, also 19, who had been celebrating New Year's Eve with friends in London.
The victim's friend introduced her to Witty at the end of the celebrations.
The victim made it clear she was not interested in sex and, when Witty offered her accommodation for the night at his flat in Kensington, she accepted, believing she was safe.
After they arrived at his flat, Witty raped her.
Witty, formerly of Greatfield in Hull, has been ordered to serve a minimum term of 12 years before he will be eligible for parole.
The woman who was raped by Witty in 1997 told the Mail she feels guilty for not coming forward sooner.
She said: "I think all the victims felt guilty about not coming forward because, if we had at the time, it might have stopped him attacking other women.
"At least now I hope I will get some closure knowing I have done the right thing. I know I have protected other women from him, which is reflected in the sentence he had got.
"I'm glad I made that call. I feel now like I have done the right thing and it has taken a lot of time.
"I would encourage anyone that has been raped or sexually assaulted to report it.
"It is never too late."
