The Beast of Bondi: Keith ‘Maggo’ Simms was secretly a serial rapist

Keith ‘Maggo’ Simms was widely regarded as a larrikin, doting father, grandfather and husband of 44 years. But Simms hid a dark secret which he took to his grave— that he had attacked more than 30 women in the eastern suburbs.

Keith Simms, one of the state‘s worst serial rapists.

To many he was just your average Aussie larrikin. A family man - on the surface - who was loved by his mates and the community.

But Keith “Maggo” Simms fooled everyone, including his wife of 44 years who could not believe he had raped more than 30 women in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

“His family had no idea at all … we met with his wife and she was absolutely shocked,” Detective Sergeant Shelley Johns, from Strike Force Doreen which cracked the case said.

“She couldn’t believe the man she knew could have done these things. In some ways, his family are victims as well.

“You watched his funeral (which was videoed and posted on social media) and he seemed to be well loved and respected by his family and the community.”

NSW Police have uncovered the identity of one of the state’s worst serial rapists after nearly 40 years of investigations and using ground breaking DNA methods.

Keith Simms was buried with his coffin painted in a South Sydney flag. His funeral heard how he played for La Perouse in his younger days.

There were moving eulogies and speeches given by grandchildren that portrayed a loving man, who at times was described as a bit naughty.

At the service, it was revealed he had asthma as a child and spent a year at a health farm on the north shore.

He worked for major corporations and for National Parks and Wildlife, where he got a certificate in horticulture.

He was also employed at the exclusive Bonnie Doon Golf Club. He had three children and five grandchildren.

Police had to break the news to his family they had conclusive evidence that Keith Simms was connected to at least 12 crime scenes through DNA, and believed to have committed many more horrendous acts.

Known as the “Beast of Bondi‘’, the man terrorised the Eastern Suburbs from 1986 to 2001,

They also told them that it would come out publicly.

“They are so innocent in all of this and we would hate to see them victimised in any way. There was nothing to indicate he would be involved in this type of thing,” Sex Crimes squad boss Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty said.

Simms had a minor police record which was decades old and of little significance in the scheme of what he had done and there was no chronic drug and alcohol problems that police were aware of.

“As far as we know, through all the investigations, he was never on the radar and so he didn’t have all those normal triggers, so by not having those, probably helped stay so anonymous,‘’ Det Supt Doherty said.

The last reported attack linked to Simms was in 2001.

Using ground breaking DNA methods, police linked the crimes to Keith Simms, a 66-year-old grandfather from La Perouse, and a relative of the famous South Sydney footballer Eric Simms.

Detective Sergeant Johns said: “One of our biggest frustrations is not knowing why he stopped, we simply don’t know”.

“We have so many working hypotheses. One was that he died around that time, some investigators thought he was dead for sure, or he was incapacitated in some way, I thought maybe had an injury where he wasn’t so quick on his feet, or maybe he went overseas,” she said.

Five years ago, Simms became seriously ill with failing kidneys and was put on dialysis.

Last year, he underwent a double transplant for both his kidneys.

He died on February 20 this year.