ANDREW HUGHES, THE CREWE SEX PREDATOR, SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR MULTIPLE ATTACKS

In a chilling series of events that shocked the town of Crewe, Andrew Hughes, aged 35, has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of multiple sexual assaults and violent crimes committed within the town. Hughes, who was found guilty of raping a woman at knifepoint inside her own home and assaulting two other women, was described in court as a dangerous serial sex offender.

According to court proceedings, Hughes broke into the residence of a female acquaintance on May 28. He entered her home while she was sleeping, armed himself with a knife, and subjected her to a harrowing ordeal that lasted approximately two and a half hours. During this terrifying incident, Hughes threatened her with the weapon and committed a sexual assault. The court was told that Hughes pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and two sexual assaults involving this particular victim.

In addition to the May 28 attack, Hughes admitted to committing a third sexual assault, as well as two assaults occasioning actual bodily harm, and the theft of a pedal cycle. These admissions came during his court appearance on Thursday, where he faced multiple charges stemming from a series of violent incidents.

The court heard that just a week prior to the rape, Hughes had already engaged in violent behavior. On May 20, he assaulted a 25-year-old woman on Myrtle Street in Crewe, punching her in the face. The assault was only halted when the victim managed to bite Hughes’s hand, causing him to flee the scene. On the same day, in Walthall Street, Hughes forcibly dragged a 22-year-old woman into an alleyway, where he carried out a sexual assault. His escape was interrupted when two men, witnessing the assault, chased him as he fled on a bicycle.

Following these violent episodes, the Crewe police’s Special Investigation Unit launched an extensive manhunt. The operation involved crime scene investigators and plainclothes officers working tirelessly to track down Hughes. His arrest came approximately 12 hours after the attack on May 28, with DNA evidence playing a crucial role in confirming his guilt.

Hughes, who was living in Crewe but was of no fixed address at the time, was brought before Chester Crown Court. The judge sentenced him to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of eight years before he becomes eligible for parole. The court’s decision underscores the severity of Hughes’s crimes and the threat he posed to the community of Crewe.