Dangerous Accrington man who attempted to rape woman twice while threatening her with metal bar jailed

Dylan Tattersall, 28, attempted to sexually assault the victim twice while threatening her with a metal bar in the early hours of June 19, 2022.

The victim managed to secretly take photographs of Tattersall on her phone in order to raise the alarm.

Tattersall, of Gloucester Avenue, Accrington, was arrested later the same day.

He was charged with two rapes and a number of breaches of a non-molestation order following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service.

During a trial in December 2022, a jury found Tattersall guilty of breaching the non-molestation order but were unable to reach a verdict in relation to the charges of rape.

Tattersall later pleaded guilty to two alternative counts of attempted rapes, with the victim ready to give evidence for a second time.

He was sentenced on Tuesday (July 4) for those offences and breaches of the non-molestation order he had previously pleaded guilty to.

Tattersall was subsequently jailed for 11 years and eight months.

Sitting at Preston Crown Court, Judge Heather Lloyd deemed Tattersall to be a dangerous offender and sentenced him to a three-year extended licence period.

Tattersall was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and a restraining order was put in place.

Det Sgt Lee Harris, of East CID, said: “'I would like to commend the victim of this case for her bravery in reporting this serious incident to the police and for her continued resilience, which saw her having to give her full evidence in a previous trial and who was prepared to endure it again if needs be.

“Both the victim and I welcome the sentence and other sanctions that have been placed upon Tattersall today, which reflects the seriousness of the case and sends a clear message that offenders like Tattersall will be brought to justice.

“I hope the outcome of this case encourages other victims of sexual violence to come forward, knowing they will be listened to and believed.”