Convicted sex offender Neil Trennan, 60, absconded on day release from prison – as cops believe he fled to Sheffield as they now investigate a report of a woman threatened at home with a knife
Police hunting a rapist on the run are investigating a report of a man threatening a woman with a knife in her home.
Convicted sex offender Neil Trennan, 60, absconded on day release from prison – with cops saying he is believed to have fled to Sheffield. Now we can reveal a man in the city is said to have “gained entry to a house and threatened a woman inside…with a knife”. South Yorkshire Police would not confirm whether the alleged attacker was Trenann but said today he was still on the loose. The young woman, who lives in a terraced house, was too upset to talk today.
Police said she was not injured and the man left before officers arrived on Thursday. A female neighbour said: “He is still out there. My husband was at home. He heard a commotion.
“Someone followed her into the house. They went upstairs. Apparently he said ‘hello before they got into a scrap. She is young student.”
Another neighbour said: “We are all just in shock. We are trying to keep the doors closed. It happened at 3pm when everyone was out and about. It is mainly families [who] live on this road so people were out doing the school run. So he chose a time when everyone was busy.”
South Yorkshire Police said: “On Thursday (10 July) at 4.01pm, we received reports of a burglary in… Sheffield. It is reported a man gained entry to a house and threatened a woman inside the house with a knife. The woman was not injured and the man left the property before officers arrived.” Asked whether than man was Trennan, South Yorkshire Police said: “This is an ongoing investigation and we’re keeping an open mind as officers follow lines of enquiries.”
Trennan failed to return to North Sea Camp, an open prison in Boston, Lincolnshire, on Thursday. He was given a life sentence in 1991 for raping a woman in Sheffield after knocking her out using a dumbbell. And in 2002, he was handed another life sentence after admitting escaping from custody and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
The thug got away from his prison officer guard on a supervised shopping trip and attacked a woman. Trennan entered a ladies’ toilet at Norwich City College and battered a lecturer around the head with a brick. Her screams were said to have forced him to flee before he could carry out a sexual assault.
Sheffield South East Neighbourhood Policing Team Inspector, Katie Hammond, added: “We understand incidents of this nature is likely to cause concern in the local area and there will be additional patrols taking place to reassure members of the community. An investigation has been launched with enquiries ongoing and I would urge anyone with concerns or queries to get in touch with our officers while they are out on patrol.”
An appeal on South Yorkshire Police’s website says: “Trennan… is wanted on recall to prison by Lincolnshire Police and is believed to have travelled to Sheffield. When he was last seen Trennan was wearing a black t-shirt and grey bottoms, however he may have changed clothing. If you see him, please do not approach him but instead call 999 immediately.”