Serial sex attacker dubbed 'Coronation Street rapist' dies in Doncaster jail

Andrew Davies - formerly known as Andrew Barlow and Andrew Longmire – was given 13 life sentences for his crimes and was serving his sentence at HMP Moorland.

Throughout the 1980s, Barlow, from Bolton - dubbed 'The Coronation Street Rapist' - struck mainly in Greater Manchester, but also in four other counties. He targeted women alone often in their terraced homes after waiting for husbands, or fathers to leave the property in the morning.

He was released in 2023 after 34 years in prison, but was recalled to prison just six weeks later.

It is understood Davies, 69, died from natural causes just over two weeks ago.

The Prison Service said: "Andrew Davies, previously called Andrew Barlow and Andrew Longmire, died on 28 February 2026. As with all deaths in custody the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate."

Barlow was given 11 life sentences in 1988 for raping 11 women and an additional 56 years for other offences. In 2010, and then again in 2017, he received two more life sentences after rapes he committed in 1981 and 1982 which were linked to him through advances in DNA technology. As he had already surpassed his original 20-year tariff imposed in 1988 just another two years were added to his sentence in each case.

He was dubbed 'The Coronation Street rapist' as most of the victims were attacked in their own terraced homes in the north of England, the majority living in Greater Manchester. Two of the attacks took place in the street. He also struck in Cheshire, Staffordshire, Lancashire, and South Yorkshire in the early 1980s, and then again from August 1987 until January 1988 when he was arrested.

Barlow was sought by police in the 1980s over 11 of the rapes. During the hunt for him he evaded police at Leeds railway station and went on to shoot at two officers when he was finally arrested in Bebington, Merseyside. The officers were not injured and Longmire was later convicted of their attempted murder.