Gary Preston, 65, from Haverhill, Suffolk, has been sentenced to nine-and-a-half years in prison for a series of offences including a sexual assault in 1988 and a nationwide terror hoax campaign in 2013.

In 1988, Preston carried out a violent sexual assault on a woman in a public toilet in Rainham. The case remained unsolved until DNA evidence linked him to a terror hoax campaign 25 years later. During this campaign, Preston sent 21 envelopes containing talcum powder and threatening messages to schools, colleges, businesses, and shopping centres across the country. The messages, which included threats like “if I was you I would hold my breath and run in the name of Allah,” caused widespread panic and evacuations.

The envelopes, which were intended to mimic a deadly biological attack, also contained Arabic text and symbols resembling the ISIS black flag. Despite these indications, Preston, who is not Muslim, later claimed these acts were pranks. The content of the envelopes turned out to be harmless talcum powder, but the psychological impact and disruption were significant.

The breakthrough in the case came through DNA evidence found on the letters, which matched samples from the 1988 attack. Preston’s arrest in September 2020 led to a series of confessions and guilty pleas across multiple charges, including dangerous driving and possession of an imitation firearm stemming from an incident in 2021.

Prosecutor Maryam Syed highlighted the enduring fear and distress caused by Preston’s actions, especially the targeting of vulnerable locations like primary schools. The sentencing judge noted Preston’s lack of remorse and failure to provide any justification for his actions.

Preston’s sentences for the terror hoaxes and the sexual assault will be served consecutively, ensuring he remains incarcerated for nearly a decade. This case underscores the complexities of linking historical unsolved crimes to more recent offenses through forensic and DNA advancements.