A DANGEROUS sex offender has been jailed for life after abducting, raping and threatening to kill a vulnerable young mum in Hereford.

Andrew James Cooke-Edwards sat by the river Wye for almost two hours before he chose his 23-year-old victim and lured her into the woods behind the sewerage works, Worcester Crown Court heard.

He was jailed for life with a minimum term of more than nine years for what prosecution barrister Matthew Butt said was the "brazen abduction of a vulnerable, young woman in broad daylight".

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After snatching an iPhone out of the hands of the victim, a mother, he led her to the secluded location by the Wye where he raped her and carried out another serious sexual assault while threatening three times to kill her as he grabbed her by the throat.

He also threw her phone into the river and took her purse.

The court heard how the victim had been forced to leave Hereford because of the riverside sex attack in 2020, having sleepless nights and being unable to look after her child.

Hereford Times: Police were at the scene, near Canary Bridge, for several hours after the rapePolice were at the scene, near Canary Bridge, for several hours after the rape

Mr Butt said after the 30-minute attack, Cooke-Edwards left the scene and returned to his home in Aylestone Hill. He then put the clothes he was wearing, a black tracksuit and white trainers, in a nearby bin and shaved his beard.

He then lied to the police, saying he had been at home all day and had never met the woman, before changing his story to falsely accuse her of being a prostitute he had arranged to meet. He still denied two counts of rape.

After the case was taken to court, he pleaded guilty but then changed these pleas. He then pleaded guilty a second time, but tried to argue he could not be guilty of rape when he appeared at court to be sentenced on Monday.

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He said that his barrister had not taken up the issue of no forensic evidence with the CPS, but that decision left him without legal representation during sentencing as Alistair George Williamson withdrew over "professional embarrassment".

The judge proceeded to sentence, saying the absence of DNA evidence was not evidence in itself, adding that the victim had identified Cooke-Edwards as the rapist, and there was other evidence such as CCTV of him leaving the scene.

During the court hearing, judge Nicholas Cartwright was told by Mr Butt how Cooke-Edwards had previously broken into another vulnerable woman's home and threatened to rape her. He was jailed for four-and-a-half years, only released 10 months before the rape in 2020.

Hereford Times: A police cordon in place near Canary Bridge after the attackA police cordon in place near Canary Bridge after the attack

He had also previously been sentenced for threatening to leak the semi-naked photos of a 19-year-old girl with special educational needs if she didn't meet him for sex.

Summing up, the judge said Cooke-Edwards had been manipulative and scheming as he tried to worm his way out of guilty pleas, but also how he had used his large and powerfully-built 6ft 6in body to accost and abduct the lone woman.

He said the attack was prolonged and sustained, with the use and threat of violence, causing extreme psychological harm to the victim.

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There had been an element of planning, with Cooke-Edwards sitting by the riverside for just shy of two hours as he picked a victim – but he said he was there because he had problems with his head and heart.

With no mitigation, the judge concluded there was a significant risk of serious harm to the public if Cooke-Edwards was released, saying he was likely to offend soon after.

The judge said that as a teenager, Cooke-Edwards followed girls and sent pictures of his naked body, and said that without a doubt he was a dangerous offender.

After pleading guilty to two counts of rape, Cooke-Edwards was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum of nine years, nine months and 18 days before the parole board can consider him for release on licence.