A SERIAL rapist who held his victims captive for days at a time has died in prison, it has been confirmed.

Gene Benjamin held his victims prisoner and strangled them into unconsciousness before repeatedly raping and beating them and was jailed in 2011.

He preyed on women across Bournemouth over a six-year period.

One victim was six months pregnant and another was attacked with a claw hammer. Others were threatened with knives and an axe.

Benjamin, previously of Belle Vue Road, Southbourne, was convicted of seven counts of rape, one count of wounding and eight counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm following a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court.

Judge Samuel Wiggs sentenced him to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 11 years.

Due to time already spent in custody, Benjamin became eligible for parole last year.

However, on his first appearance before the Parole Board, his release from prison was refused.

It has now been confirmed that the offender died in a Yorkshire prison last month at the age of 64.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “HMP Wakefield prisoner Gene Benjamin died on February 11.

"The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has been informed.”

Benjamin, who was known as Barry, was found guilty of the offences committed between January 2004 and February 2010 after an eight-week trial.

Most of the women the rapist targeted worked in Bournemouth as prostitutes.

The victims had been aged between 18 and 40 years and the attacks were carried out at 15 different locations.

Benjamin got away with his vile and vicious crimes for years because his victims were too scared to go to the police.

Judge Wiggs told him: “You preyed on the prostitutes of Bournemouth. You were in their community and used intimidation and violence on them."

At the time of sentencing, the officer in the case, Detective Sergeant Lindsay Dudfield, said: “I’m pleased with the sentence.

“Gene Benjamin is an incredibly dangerous man and this ensures the safety of Dorset residents.”

She added: “I commend the bravery of the women who gave evidence."

The Daily Echo can also confirm that Benjamin was refused parole last year after serving his minimum term.

A Parole Board panel it was “not satisfied” Benjamin was suitable for release. It also decided that the benefits of a move to open prison were considered to be “limited and to be outweighed by the remaining risks” that Benjamin presented.

A document detailing the Parole Board's decision said the risk factors at the time of his offending included his “use and willingness to use violence and weapons” and “preferring sex to include violent or controlling behaviour over women”.

It added he did “not care about the effects of his actions on other people” and said he had “attitudes that support sexual violence”.

The Parole Board also examined the release plan provided by Mr Benjamin’s probation officer and weighed its proposals against assessed risks.

The panel concluded this plan was not robust enough to manage Benjamin in the community at that stage because there were outstanding risk factors that needed to be addressed.