A dangerous man who twice attempted to rape a woman been jailed for 11 years and eight months following our investigation.

Dylan Tattersall, 28, committed the offences in Accrington in the early hour of June 19, last year, when he threatened the victim while holding a metal bar before twice attempting to carry out serious sexual assaults on her.

The victim managed to secretly take photographs of Tattersall on her phone in order to raise the alarm.

Tattersall, of Gloucester Avenue, Accrington, was arrested later the same day.

Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, he was charged with two rapes and a number of breaches of a non-molestation order.

During a trial in December 2022, a jury found Tattersall guilty of breaching the non-molestation order but were unable to reach a verdict in relation to the charges of rape.  Tattersall later pleaded guilty to two alternative counts of attempted rapes, with the victim ready to give evidence for a second time. He was today sentenced for those offences and breaches of the non-molestation order he had previously pleaded guilty to.

Sitting at Preston Crown Court, Judge Heather Lloyd deemed Tattersall to be a dangerous offender and sentenced him a three-year extended licence period.

Tattersall was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life. A Restraining Order was also put in place.

DS Lee Harris, of East CID, said: “’I would like to commend the victim of this case for her bravery in reporting this serious incident to the police and for her continued resilience, which saw her having to give her full evidence in a previous trial and who was prepared to endure it again if needs be.

“Both the victim and I welcome the sentence and other sanctions that have been placed upon Tattersall today, which reflects the seriousness of the case and sends a clear message that offenders like Tattersall will be brought to justice.

“I hope the outcome of this case encourages other victims of sexual violence to come forward, knowing they will be listened to and believed.”