Convicted rapist handed third full life order for Sheffield burglary
61 year old Neil Trennan attacked a woman in her own home after failing to return from prison day release
Last updated 25th Feb 2026
A convicted rapist has been handed a third whole life order for threatening a Sheffield student with a knife during a burglary he carried out after absconding from prison.
Neil Trennan, 61, failed to return to HMP North Sea Camp last year after being permitted day release last July.
He'd targeted a woman at a home in Nether Edge, before ultimately being arrested in York.
Trennan was previously sentenced for the 1990 rape of a woman in Sheffield who he'd knocked unconscious.
He also hit a woman with a brick in 2002.
Senior Crown Prosecutor Caroline Deacon said: "Neil Trennan is an exceptionally dangerous man with a proven history of violent and predatory sexual offending."
"Whilst serving two life sentences, he failed to return from day leave from his open prison.
"Armed with a knife, he targeted an innocent young woman in Sheffield and then followed her to into her home with the intention of subjecting her to a violent sexual assault.
"It is only through the courage and quick thinking of his victim that he did not succeed.
"Working closely with South Yorkshire Police, we built a detailed picture of Trennan’s previous offending in order to secure his guilty pleas.
"This included successfully submitting evidence to the court of his previous bad character in order to prove his intention to violently assault and then rape the victim when he unlawfully entered her home.
"Trennan is a deeply violent man who derives pleasure from inflicting pain and fear on others. I am pleased today’s sentence reflects the very serious nature of his offending and I hope it provides some reassurance to his victim that he will be held fully accountable for his actions."