Andrew Delsol: 'Vicious' rapist jailed for life for attacks on two women

Serial abuser must serve at least nine years in prison

The judge described Andrew Delsol as 'charming and clever on one side and vicious and self-obsessed on the other' (West Yorkshire Police)

A “Jekyll and Hyde” rapist with a history of violence towards women threatened to kill one of his victims as he was jailed for life.

Andrew Delsol was convicted of physical and sexual abusing two women in Bradford, West Yorkshire, between 1985 and 2001.

The 55-year-old was described by a judge as “vicious and self obsessed” and told he must serve a minimum of nine years in prison.

One of the women who gave evidence against him was at Bradford Crown Court as he said “I’ll murder that bitch” while being taken to the cells.

Delsol was first jailed in 1989 after he burnt a woman with a blowtorch, tried to make her drink bleach and forced her out of a window with a rope around her neck.

In 2002 he was jailed for eight years at Carlisle Crown Court after beating his teenage girlfriend, holding her prisoner for six days and threatening to cut up her body.

Seven years later Lancashire Police issued a rarely-used Violent Offender Order in an attempt to protect women from Delsol.

Then in 2015 he was sentenced to 13 years for terrorising a young mother he locked in an attic flat in Bradford.

Two further victims came forward to police after reading coverage of the case and earlier this week he was convicted of four counts of rape, wounding with intent, living on the earnings of prostitution, two offences of making a threat to kill, two counts of indecent assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The first told how she was beaten and raped by Delsol after meeting him at the age of 17 or 18.

He punched and kicked her, tried to drown her in the bath and forced her to pay him £100 a day from her earnings as a sex worker.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “Psychologically, I think he was just playing with my head really. He was like a Jekyll and Hyde.”

Delsol battered the second woman round the head with a hairbrush, stabbed her in the leg with a screwdriver, poured petrol over her and threatened to set her on fire.

She told the court she was smitten with him, describing him as 6ft 4ins tall and “beautiful”.

“He just battered me black and blue every day,” she said. “He needs putting away for life. He’ll carry on hurting people. He was handsome and beautiful… but he was evil.”

Detective Constable Andrew Ellis, of West Yorkshire Police, described Delsol as “a very dangerous man”.

He added: “I hope the sentence he has received today will be of some comfort to his victims. I would like to thank them for their courage in testifying against someone who subjected them to sexual abuse and violence. I also hope it encourages other victims of historic sexual offences to contact their local safeguarding unit, whose specially trained officers will investigate every report and provide support for the victims so perpetrators like Delsol can be brought to justice.”

One of Delsol’s victims also issued a statement thanking the jury for believing her evidence.

She said: “I am elated at this verdict which means I can move forward with my life, knowing the man who violently and sexually abused me and other women has been given a life sentence.”

Additional reporting by SWNS