ANDREW LE FEUVRE'S HORRIFIC CRIMES IN JERSEY AND LONDON: A TALE OF REPEATED OFFENSES AND JUSTICE DELAYED

In October 2018, a disturbing incident unfolded involving a man from Jersey, known by the names Andrew Le Feuvre and Andrew Hannam, who was ultimately sentenced to seven years in prison for a brutal attack on a mother and her young daughter in the United Kingdom. The events took place after this individual was granted unsupervised day release from the Bethlem Royal Hospital, a psychiatric facility located in Beckenham, south London, a decision that would later come under scrutiny.

On February 2, 2018, Johnson, a 47-year-old former soldier who served with the Royal Hampshire Regiment before his discharge on medical grounds, was given permission to leave the hospital premises without supervision. This decision was made by the Ministry of Justice, allowing him to have some freedom during the day. However, Johnson did not adhere to the curfew imposed on him. After consuming alcohol at a local pub and taking the drug spice, he boarded a bus heading back to the hospital. During the journey, he disembarked with the intent to follow a woman and her 13-year-old daughter as they made their way home.

It was the young girl who first noticed Johnson as she and her mother arrived at their residence. Without warning, Johnson forced his way into the house, brandishing a threatening warning to the mother, saying, “Do as I say and you won’t get hurt.” The mother and daughter’s screams alerted the father, who was inside the house. He confronted Johnson, chasing him out of the property, while the mother quickly called the police for assistance.

Johnson’s background is marked by a history of violent and sexual offenses. Born in Salisbury and raised in children’s homes in Jersey, he has publicly claimed to have suffered sexual abuse during his childhood. His criminal record is extensive, with a total of 52 previous convictions. Notably, on September 24, 1996, he was convicted of indecent assault against a six-year-old at a hotel in Jersey. Later, on November 12, 1999, he was convicted after impersonating a police officer to gain entry into a woman’s flat in south London, where he raped her and attempted to rape her 10-year-old daughter. This heinous act earned him a life sentence.

Further convictions include an indecent assault and attempted rape dating back to February 1995 in Jersey, which were confirmed through DNA evidence, leading to a sentence of six and a half years in prison. Johnson was initially detained at Broadmoor, a maximum-security psychiatric hospital, following his 1999 conviction. In 2012, he was transferred to Bethlem Hospital, as medical professionals believed he was making progress in his treatment.

Despite his history, Johnson was granted the opportunity for day release in February 2018. The medical team justified this decision by stating that he was participating in programs aimed at addressing his personality disorder and substance abuse issues. Nevertheless, his breach of curfew and subsequent violent actions cast doubt on the appropriateness of such releases.

In addition to the recent attack, Johnson’s criminal history includes a series of violent and sexual offenses spanning over two decades. His earlier crimes include a 1996 conviction for indecent assault in Jersey, and a 1999 conviction for a savage attack on a woman and her daughter in south London, which involved rape and attempted rape. During that incident, the woman, aged 35, feared for her life as Johnson threatened her with a knife. The attack was so severe that she managed to grab scissors and struggled to free herself and her child before fleeing to a neighbor’s flat. Johnson fled to Israel but was later traced by police. He attempted to evade justice by taking an overdose but was eventually hospitalized for a liver transplant, which he did not require after an unexpected recovery.

In January 2016, Johnson, then known as Andrew Hannam, was convicted of attempting to force a woman into sex in Jersey over twenty years earlier. The case was reopened after advances in DNA profiling, which identified him as the suspect. The victim described the attack as “horrific, planned and sustained,” leaving lasting scars in her memory. The DNA evidence, which became more accessible in recent years, played a crucial role in linking Hannam to the cold case.

Hannam’s criminal record also includes charges of gross indecency and indecent assault, for which he was sentenced to six and a half years in prison. His history of violent sexual offenses and the lengthy delay in delivering justice highlight the challenges faced by law enforcement in dealing with such offenders, especially before the advent of advanced DNA technology.

In November 1999, Le Feuvre, then 28 years old and also from Jersey, was sentenced to three life sentences for a series of horrific sexual offenses against a woman and her 10-year-old daughter in south London. He had pretended to be a policeman to gain entry into their flat in September of that year. The judge, Mr. Justice Blofeld, described Le Feuvre as a “danger to women” and ordered his transfer to Broadmoor special hospital without a fixed time limit within 28 days.

Le Feuvre pleaded guilty to raping the mother twice and attempting to rape the child, as well as five charges of indecent assault. The judge emphasized the severity of his crimes, stating that they were among the most horrific sexual offenses he had encountered. The victim, a 35-year-old woman, recounted her terror during the attack, which she believed could have resulted in her and her daughter’s deaths. She managed to fight back with scissors and fled to a neighbor’s flat, where police later traced Le Feuvre to Israel. He was found to have taken an overdose and was hospitalized for a liver transplant, which he did not ultimately need after an unexpected recovery.

These cases underscore a troubling pattern of violent and sexual offenses committed by individuals with a history of mental health issues and criminal behavior. The use of DNA profiling has become a pivotal tool in recent years, enabling law enforcement to identify and apprehend offenders long after their crimes. The cases of Andrew Le Feuvre and Andrew Hannam serve as stark reminders of the importance of careful monitoring and appropriate management of individuals with such histories, especially when they are granted privileges like day release from psychiatric facilities.