Rapist killed neighbour's child

Convicted rapist Clark lived in the same street as the Zommer family

A convicted rapist has been found guilty of attacking and killing a 14-year-old girl at her home.

Zuzanna Zommer's body was found by her parents at their home in Compton Row, Leeds, with her throat cut and skull fractured last October.

Michael Clark, 40, of the same street, attacked Zuzanna two months after her family arrived from Poland. He had sexually assaulted her and killed her.

The defendant will be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday.

On 1 October 2007, Clark, who lived two doors from the Zommer family had cut her throat and smashed her skull, apparently by stamping on her head.

Solvent abuser

Jurors were told Clark, who was convicted of rape in 1991, had befriended the Zommer family when they moved into his street.

But not long afterwards, his behaviour began to worry Zuzanna's father.

On the day she was killed, Zuzanna's parents had to find work in Leeds city centre, leaving her at home.

Solvent abuser Clark later told the police he had an alibi, insisting he was in a post office collecting benefits at the time of the murder, but officers disproved it.

One of the knives used to kill Zuzanna was found in a bin at her home along with a chocolate bar wrapper, which prosecutors said Clark had eaten.

The court heard how Clark was convicted in 1991 of raping a woman he met in a nightclub and how he had subjected that woman to a sexual assault.

'Sexual and sadistic'

In 1998 he was convicted of indecent assault and affray after he attacked a woman who managed to escape from him by smashing a window.

In 2003 he was also found guilty of attacking a prostitute.

On Thursday the jury of five women and seven men found Clark guilty of one count of murder and another of assault by penetration.

The judge, Mr Justice King, said he would sentence Clark on Friday.

Prosecutor Adrian Waterman QC, told the court he will be proposing the judge sentences Clark on the basis the murder was "sexual, sadistic and involving a child".

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