Hereford man jailed for life for rape

A man from Hereford has been jailed for life for rape.

34-year-old Andrew Cooke-Edwards, of Aylestone Hill, was sentenced at Worcester Crown Court earlier.

He will serve a minimum of nine years and nine months in prison.

Around 1pm on 19 November 2020, he attacked a 23-year-old woman on the river bank in Hereford.

He threatened to kill the woman unless she handed over her mobile phone. She did so but Cooke-Edwards orally and vaginally raped her. She was later found by members of the public.

Later that day, Cooke-Edwards was arrested and later charged with two counts of rape, making threats to kill and robbery.

He subsequently pleaded guilty.

Detective Constable Lawrence Smith said: “This was a shocking attack on an innocent young girl.

“We greatly admire her courage for helping to bring her attacker to justice and hope that this sentence might allow her to move on with her life.

“We strive to prosecute anyone responsible for a sexual crime and urge anyone with any concerns about an incident, whether recently or in the past, to please get in touch.

“You will be offered our full support and we will do everything we can to help you.”