Sex offender dubbed ‘Coronation Street rapist’ launches NEW parole application

A serial sex offender known as the ‘Coronation Street Rapist’ has applied for parole despite breaking rules on his last release from prison.

Andrew Barlow, 67, from Bolton in Lancashire, earned his nickname after attacking several women in their own terraced houses in Manchester – reminiscent of the set of the cult soap.

The sex offender was first imprisoned in October 1988 after being found guilty of 11 counts of rape, three counts of attempted rape, sexual assault and resisting arrest.

He was subsequently found guilty of two further rapes in 2010 and 2017, both of which occurred in the 1980s.

But Barlow, formerly known as Andrew Longmire, only served 34 years in prison and was released on parole in March last year – despite attempts by then-Justice Secretary Dominic Raab to prevent his release.

The rapist, who was sent back to prison for breaching parole, will seek his release at an appeal hearing on Wednesday, June 19.

A source told The Sun: “He believes he should not have been recalled and poses no threat.”

Barlow was sentenced to life imprisonment thirteen times for his campaign of terror across five counties in the 1980s.

The attacker raped a woman in front of her three-year-old child, who was hiding behind the sofa in her house.

He was also found guilty of raping a 15-year-old girl by breaking into her apartment at around 8:45 a.m. when her parents had left the house.

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Barlow threatened the “petrified” girl with a knife before ripping her clothes off and raping her.

The serial rapist spent days exploring his victims’ homes to find out about their daily routine.

Because Barlow knew when a victim’s partner or parent went to work, he was able to attack the victims alone.

Barlow’s initial release in 2023 left Barlow’s victims feeling very angry after they fought tirelessly alongside their families to keep the rapist behind bars.

Last year, a relative of a woman Barlow raped in her own Greater Manchester home in 1987 told the Manchester Evening News: “I took it in January and decided to get on with my life when Barlow was released – now that animal is back in our lives. We told the authorities but they didn’t listen.”

“Someone must be held accountable. That means all the victims and their families will have to relive the agony we had to in January when we tried in vain to prevent his release.

“We told the authorities that his risk was too great and we were right.

“I would like to sit down in person with someone from the parole board and tell them what happened to our family because of Barlow.”

Commenting on Barlow’s appeal, a spokesman for the Parole Board said: “An oral hearing has been scheduled for the review of Andrew Barlow’s parole, which is scheduled to take place in June 2024.”

“The decisions of the parole board are based solely on the risk a prisoner could pose to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in society.”

“A panel will carefully examine a wide range of evidence, including details of the original crime and any evidence of changes in behaviour. It will also examine the harm caused and the impact the crime has had on the victims.”

“Members read and process hundreds of pages of evidence and reports in advance of an oral hearing.”

The spokesman added: “The hearing will then hear testimony from witnesses, including probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, as well as officials supervising the offender in prison, as well as personal statements from victims.”

“The prisoner and witnesses are then questioned extensively during the hearing, which often lasts a full day or more.”

“Parole reviews are conducted thoroughly and with the utmost care. Protecting the public is our top priority.”