Andrew Davies, the serial rapist known as the 'Coronation Street Rapist', has died in prison at the age of 69. Davies, who also went by the names Andrew Barlow and Andrew Longmire, was serving 13 life sentences for a series of attacks across northern England in the 1980s.
Davies died from natural causes at HMP Moorland in Doncaster on 28 February 2026, the Prison Service confirmed. He had been recalled to prison in 2023 after just six weeks on licence following 34 years behind bars. His release had sparked outrage among victims and their families, who had campaigned to keep him locked up.
One victim, raped at knifepoint in her own bed in 1987, told the Manchester Evening News: 'It's a relief... but it isn't. I still relive what he did to me. It is a very difficult feeling to handle.' A relative of another victim said: 'This beast is back in our lives again. We told the authorities and they didn't listen.'
Davies challenged his recall in June 2024, but the Parole Board rejected his application in July, concluding he posed 'a very high risk of a contact sexual offence'. The board noted his risk of serious harm to others was 'very high'.
Former Justice Minister Dominic Raab had previously described Davies's crimes as 'despicable' and asked the Parole Board to reconsider its decision to release him. Labour MP Graham Stringer, who supported victims, called the release 'institutional failure of the highest order'.
A Prison Service spokesperson said: 'These were despicable crimes, and our thoughts remain with the victims of Andrew Davies.' The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate the death.
