The man sentenced last week for the rape of an elderly woman was wanted for carrying out another rape, of a wheelchair-bound elderly woman in Belfast, while he was on the run in 1997 for his infamous crime that let to the 'C Case'.

The Sunday Tribune has learned that Simon McGinley (36), of Latlorcan Court, Monaghan, but originally from Dundalk, was wanted by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) for the rape of the woman in her home between August and November 1997.

McGinley had been apprehended by gardaí in Dundalk in November 1997 and charged with the rape of his 13-year-old babysitter.

The young victim became pregnant as a result of the rape and was taken into care. She went to the courts, winning approval to have an abortion in the UK against the wishes of her parents. The case became known as the 'C Case'.

Shortly after McGinley was taken into custody in 1997, the PSNI got in contact with gardaí in relation to the rape of the wheelchair-bound woman.

However, the elderly woman was so distraught that police did not believe she would be able to give evidence, and so the case was not pursued.

"The evidence was strong that [McGinley] carried out this rape in Belfast but securing a conviction would have been difficult," said a senior garda source. "This man is one of the most dangerous sexual offenders ever to emerge in this country... As far as I'm concerned, and this is the opinion of any garda who's ever met him, he should never be released from prison."

McGinley was sentenced to 21 years on Wednesday for raping an 86-year-old woman at her Co Monaghan home.

McGinley was sentenced to 12 years with four suspended for the rape that led to the 'C Case'. But before this conviction, gardaí were informed by members of the Travelling community in various parts of the country that McGinley had raped several Traveller women. When each new case emerged, the women were interviewed by gardaí but refused to give statements because of a "mistrust" of the authorities and fear of the McGinley family.

McGinley is also believed to have raped a Traveller woman since his release from Arbour Hill in 2003 for the 'C Case' crime. This woman agreed to give a formal statement to gardaí about the attack but changed her mind at the last minute.

"It would be commonplace when he would be having a few drinks socially with his friends in halting sites that he would disappear. All the men would immediately race back to their caravans to see if he was raping their wives. Often he was," the source added.