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A Perth man who raped two teenagers more than 30 years ago, but was only charged last July after a genetic genealogy breakthrough linked him to the crimes, has been jailed for 13 and a half years. WARNING: The following story contains details that may distress some readers. Kevin Frederick Combes, 56, had pleaded guilty to six charges, including the aggravated sexual assaults of a 19-year-old woman in Perth in 1990 and a 17-year-old girl in South Boulder in 1991. Combes was sentenced in the WA District Court, where Judge Wendy Hughes handed him a total sentence of 13 and a half years. He will be made eligible for parole. Judge Hughes said he "terrorised, humiliated and degraded" the two young women. "Your offending was repeated, it was violent, it was prolonged, it was sustained," she said. Threats to kill In the statement of material facts, the court heard the first complainant had finished work at a bar on Barrack Street in June 1990, when she stepped into an alleyway to get into her car. Combes used a sarong to conceal his face and held a knife against her throat. The court heard he repeatedly told the woman he would "kill her if she screamed". The 19-year-old tried to negotiate with the man before he sexually assaulted her and continued to threaten her. The court heard the woman was later able to make it back inside the bar and reported the incident to police. Eight months later, a 17-year-old girl was leaving a hotel in Kalgoorlie when she gave Combes a lift in her car. The court heard he then threatened to kill her, also using a knife. The 17-year-old managed to escape for a moment after being dragged to a fence. The young girl was then put in the boot of her own car and Combes drove it for 10 minutes before sexually assaulting her. The court heard the 17-year-old was then left tied up in bushes before flagging down a truck for help. She was said to be too frightened to get the attention of a car, thinking it could be the offender. 'Scared all the time' Judge Hughes referred to the two women's victim impact statements, of which the first complainant said she now suffers from panic attacks, depression and has been suicidal. "From that moment on, she felt scared all the time," she said. The second woman said her kindness ended up being her "biggest downfall" on that night and said the offending caused her "unimaginable fear, horror and humiliation." "Generations of people in her life have been traumatised by what you did that night," Judge Hughes told the offender. Combes's defence lawyer Mark Hager said the offending occurred at a time where he was heavily using methamphetamine, alcohol and was homeless. Judge Hughes acknowledged the two women when handing down the sentence. "Thirteen and a half years may not seem enough and my only hope is today’s proceedings meant they [the women] have felt heard," she said. A family member of one of the victims — whose identity is suppressed — expressed gratitude for the efforts of police and their "unwavering pursuit" of the cold case. "Their dedication, persistence and commitment have finally brought this dangerous and serial sexual offender to justice," she said outside court. "For the past 35 years, [my family member] has lived with the trauma and pain caused by these horrific crimes, knowing that the person responsible for her suffering remained in the community without facing any consequences. "Today's outcome brings some measure of relief." Speaking outside court, Detective Senior Constable Raquel Rae of WA Police's Cold Case Squad issued a warning to perpetrators. "I would say to those perpetrators of those serious crimes, that if you think 30 or 35 years means you have gotten away with a serious crime, think again," she said. "Because with these advances in technology, we will be knocking on your door."
