Rapist serving life is sentenced to six-and-a-half years by Royal Court

Friday 22 January 2016

A rapist already serving a life sentence in the UK has been jailed for six-and-a-half years for a brutal attack in Jersey more than 20 years ago.

Andrew Hannam (44) was handed an extra prison sentence by the Royal Court yesterday for the attempted rape of a woman in her home in St Helier in 1995.

He is already serving a life sentence for the rape and attempted rape of a mother and her young daughter in their home in the UK.

The police in Jersey have paid tribute to the victim – they say that her bravery and advances in technology send out the clear message that even after many years, people who commit crimes can still be tracked down and made to face justice.

In a statement issued after the sentencing, the States of Jersey Police wrote: “For two decades Andrew Hannam evaded justice for this horrific attack, whilst his victim dealt with the effects of his brutal assault.

“She can only be described as an incredibly brave woman who has shown tremendous courage both at the time of the attack and since we re-examined the case. We can only thank her for that.

“What this shows is that just because many years have passed to our officers a case is not closed. Advances in forensics and technology mean we can still investigate crime decades later.

“This case sends a clear message to criminals that no investigation is over until the perpetrator is caught.”