A BORDER identity who took his own life in a house fire has been labelled a violent man and a sexual predator by an Albury coroner.

Stan Miosge had been linked to a violent sexual assault where the sleeping victim was punched, rendered semi-conscious with chloroform, and raped, when he took his own life last year.

The rape took place on July 11, 1983, at 103 Hume Street in Wodonga and police had been trying to question him.

Miosge, 67, had been linked to the crime by cold case detectives through DNA on exhibits seized at the time.

Police from the Sexual Crimes Squad attached to the Cold Case Unit had made contact with Miosge several times prior to his death.

He had agreed to be interviewed on October 20 last year but did not attend.

Detectives first made contact with Miosge last September, but he took his own life in the November 13 house fire before he could be arrested or any charges laid.

Coroner Tony Murray ruled the fishing guru had died from smoke inhalation after lighting a fire at the South Albury rental property he lived at and was facing eviction from.

I have no doubt at all that his past had well and truly caught up with the deceased and this was having a huge impact on both his physical and mental health, Mr Murray said. The deceased appears to have been putting in large efforts over the years to distance himself from his past and it had again now come back to him.

Miosge had not discussed his lengthy criminal history, which included extreme acts of violence, rape, arson and a police siege, with friends.

The victim in the 1983 incident had been asleep in her Hume Street home when she was woken by a man who had broken in and climbed on top of her.

The man assaulted her by punching her to the face several times and used a rag to cover her nose and mouth.

The rag appeared to have been dowsed with chloroform and the woman struggled to maintain consciousness as she was raped.

No suspects were identified at the time, but Miosge was recently linked to the crime by DNA on items stored for decades.

Mr Murray found Miosge was facing a lengthy jail term if found guilty and had lit a fire in the front room of the Willowbank Road property and died from smoke inhalation.

With the history of violent offending (especially including prior sexual assaults) there is no doubt a full-time custodial penalty would have been imposed upon the deceased, he said.

Mr Murray chose not to hold an inquest into the death.