Serial Sex Offender Manipulates Parole System to Commit Violent Attack
A convicted rapist who persuaded the Parole Board to grant him unaccompanied day release has been handed his third life sentence after attacking a student with a knife in her own home. Neil Trennan, 61, followed the terrified woman into her residence with the intent to commit what the court described as "violent rape" while on leave from HMP North Sea Camp, an open prison in Lincolnshire.
Judicial Condemnation of Parole Decision
Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, presiding at Sheffield Crown Court, expressed astonishment at the decision to allow Trennan unsupervised freedom, stating it would likely never be safe to release the serial sex offender. The judge revealed he had "been given no adequate explanation for the decision" and has written to the Justice Secretary to highlight serious concerns about the Parole Board's assessment process.
The court heard that Trennan had completed accredited sex offender programmes in prison, with official documents praising his "progress and custodial conduct" and noting how well he had "demonstrated application of relevant skills and learning while in custody." However, a risk assessment conducted just two months after his latest offences identified critical danger factors, including his belief that he had "a right to have sex as and when he wanted," a willingness to use violence and weapons, and a failure to consider consequences.
Pattern of Violence During Previous Releases
This was not Trennan's first violent attack while on day release. In 2002, he escaped from custody while on temporary leave and assaulted a woman with a brick in a public toilet in Norwich. His criminal history spans decades, including:
- A 1991 rape conviction for breaking into a Sheffield home and knocking a woman unconscious with a weight lifting dumbbell
- Three indecent assaults during the 1980s and 1990s
- Multiple incidents of looking through bedroom windows and breaking into women's homes
Trennan had spent 19 years in jail since his minimum tariff expired before being moved to open conditions. In a disturbing 2015 psychological assessment, he told prison officials he enjoyed the "fear he is able to see in victims' eyes" and admitted to a sexual interest in violence.
Victim's Harrowing Account of the Attack
The victim, who addressed Trennan directly via video link during sentencing, described in her impact statement: "Even when I looked at you in the eyes full of fear you showed no emotion, when I tried to fight you off you got more forceful and angrier. You never cared, I was just another crime to you."
Prosecutor Gordon Stables detailed how Trennan had admitted following the woman "after seeing her in the street and targeted her… intending to commit a violent rape." The woman had entered her home assuming a housemate had arrived when she heard the front door open and close. While changing for a shower, she discovered Trennan in a spare bedroom where he claimed to be "lost."
After saying "sorry," Trennan launched his attack, touching the victim, producing a kitchen knife, and "trying to force her down to the floor." The woman managed to fight him off, knocking the blade from his hand before locking herself in another room. Trennan was arrested three days later.
Systemic Failures and Official Response
Judge Richardson described Trennan as a "sexual deviant ... aroused by sexual violence" and imposed a minimum 10-year sentence before parole consideration. The case has raised urgent questions about parole assessment protocols for dangerous offenders.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson responded: "These were horrendous crimes and our thoughts remain with all the victims affected. Neil Trennan has rightly received the full weight of the law for his actions. We will carefully consider the judge’s comments once we receive his letter and are clear that we want to fully understand what happened in this case, including whether any processes or policies need to be strengthened."
Trennan will be eligible for another parole hearing in two years, though Judge Richardson's comments suggest he considers the offender permanently dangerous to the public.
