Sexual predator pleaded guilty to attempted rape and burglary

Andrew Pennington, 62, of High Street in Rawcliffe, near Goole, appeared at Hull Crown Court on Thursday (April 16).

He pleaded guilty to attempted rape, indecent assault, burglary and burglary with intent to steal – the majority of which relate to an incident in 1998.

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Pennington had entered a woman’s home in Beverley on July 23, 1998, and jumped out and attacked her after she returned from work, Humberside Police said.

He tried to remove her clothing, threatening her with rape and violence, before he was disturbed by a lodger at the address who had also returned home.

A force spokesperson described how Pennington, who fled the scene, was initially pursued by the lodger who eventually lost sight of him.

At the time, an investigation was opened but due to forensic limitations, no suspect was identified.

But this changed when officers from Humberside Police’s Major Crime Review Team re-examined the case in September 2025.

Upon reviewing the case, the team discovered Pennington’s previous convictions – finding that in 2017, he had been convicted and sentenced for a rape which had occurred in 1988 in North Yorkshire.

Pennington’s DNA has also been identified at the scene of three domestic burglaries in Humberside from 1997.

A police spokesperson said: “He had been interviewed and admitted the burglaries and was later convicted.

“Detectives identified similarities in his pattern of offending which appeared to be sexually motivated.”

Following a review of the evidence, DNA was identified from samples recovered from clothing worn by the victim from the 1998 incident, which was a match to Pennington.

He was questioned by police in March and admitted to the attempted rape and burglary offence relating to the incident, along with a second burglary offence which occurred in 1997, in which he forced entry to a property and stole underwear, cash and photographs from inside.

Detective Constable Eleanor Henrickson who lead the investigation said: “Pennington is a sexual predator who broke into a woman’s home and attacked her, thinking only of his own sick sexual desires.

“Whilst prosecution was originally not an option due to a lack of evidence, I am pleased that justice will now be served.

“I hope this case sends a stark message to anyone that has ever committed an offence and thinks they have got away with it.

“We will keep searching and we will do everything in our power to hold you accountable for your crimes.

“Nobody should be made to feel unsafe in their own home and I want to praise the victim for her courage in coming forward and her patience over the years, I hope that today’s result gives her some sense of justice.

“I also want to encourage any victims of sexual offences, no matter how long ago they happened, to please come forward.

“We will listen and we will support you.”

Specialist support networks and organisations are there to speak to and advise survivors of any type of abuse confidentially.

You can also contact police via its non-emergency 101 line or via 999 in an emergency.