Rapist monster gets life

BEHIND bars . . . rapist Trevor Lawler

A RAPIST who attacked two women in front of their young children has been handed a life sentence.

Trevor Lawler (32) committed the horrific assaults at his victims’ homes in Failsworth and Newton Heath.

At Manchester Crown Court Lawler pleaded guilty to rape, attempted rape, grievous bodily harm with intent, threats to kill, sexual assault, and trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence. He must serve a minimum 10 years in prison.

Around dawn on July 10 last year, Lawler forced his way through the front door of an address in Newton Heath and went into the bedroom of the 25-year-old victim, who was asleep with her seven-year-old son.

He undressed and got into bed before assaulting and attempting to rape the woman, then threatened to slit her throat unless she told her son to stop crying. The victim’s boyfriend arrived and chased Lawler away.

Lawler struck again at 7am, when he knocked on the door of an address in Failsworth and told the 34-year-old victim he had been locked out of his house. She invited him in and he followed her upstairs, where her one-year-old son was standing in the hallway.

Lawler pushed her against the wall but she managed to free herself and grabbed her son as she escaped into her bedroom. Lawler followed and punched her in the face, causing her and her child to fall backwards on the bed. She placed her child to one side and Lawler continued to punch her before sexually assaulting her.

He told her, “If you don’t stop screaming, I’ll kill you stone dead” before raping her and then running off.

A manhunt resulted in Lawler, of Tetlow Street, Manchester, being arrested later that day.

Lawler, who was convicted of rape in Ireland when he was 18, was on the run from a robbery in Ireland at the time.

Det Cons Steve Darragh said: “He’s without doubt one of the most vile and reprehensible human beings I have ever investigated. To attack two, women in their homes, and worse still in front of their young children, is utterly repulsive.

“Had the first victim’s boyfriend not returned when he did, I have no doubt that Lawler would have committed two rapes that morning.

“He is an incredibly dangerous individual and our city is a safer place with him safely locked behind bars.”