How Door Dash driver and alleged serial sex attacker was charged using cutting-edge DNA analysis - as he's accused of crimes going back YEARS and is branded 'a risk to women'
- Ujwal Shrestha has been charged over two Sydney late-night sex attacks
- The 25-year-old Nepalese national works as a delivery driver for Door Dash
- Police arrested Shrestha in Cremorne on Friday and he has been refused bail
An alleged serial sex attacker has made a tearful apology to a magistrate who labelled him an 'extreme risk to the safety of women' after he was charged thanks to cutting-edge DNA technology.
Food delivery driver Ujwal Shrestha, 25, was arrested on Friday after he was linked to two random late-night attacks in Sydney's North Shore years apart.
In the first, a woman grabbed and sexually touched while walking on an Artarmon street in December 2018 and the second involved a woman in Mosman at 2.30am in November 2021.
A police strike force was established in December to investigate links between similar attacks in the area.
The 25-year-old was arrested at a Cremorne residence on Friday (pictured) and fronted Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday
Court documents allege detectives were able to link Shrestha to the crimes after DNA from the clothing of the first victim matched DNA from the skin of the second victim.
The Nepalese citizen was arrested at his Cremorne residence on Friday and faced Parramatta Bail Court via videolink on Saturday.
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'These were random attacks... any woman could be in potential danger,' magistrate Sharon Holdsworth said, The Daily Telegraph reported.
'The accused is a person who presents a very extreme risk to the safety of women... [he is] employed as a Door Dash driver, which also gives him further opportunity to come into contact with women.'
Ujwal Shrestha (pictured) is employed as a food delivery driver and has been arrested over the alleged attacks
Further to the DNA evidence, police said the two victims gave descriptions that were consistent with Shrestha.
Detectives also alleged his red Dodge Caliber was caught on CCTV doing a U-turn and following the second victim before she was attacked.
Shrestha did not enter a plea but told the magistrate: 'I'm so sorry, your Honour'.
New technology for DNA analysis is being used by NSW Police that can find DNA links to crimes even when the alleged perpetrator's information is not in police databases.
The technology can identify an alleged attacker's eye colour, hair colour, and heritage based on information from historical populations.
The Nepalese national (pictured centre) will return to court on March 24
Shrestha's request for bail through a Legal Aid Lawyer was denied and the investigation is ongoing.
He is charged with two counts of detaining a person with intent to commit a serious indictable offence, two counts of sexually touching, and sexual assault.
He will return to court on March 24.
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