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A man whose mother was raped by a prolific sex attacker, who also struck in Sheffield, is 'disgusted' by plans to release him from prison.

Andrew Longmire, who has since changed his name to Andrew Barlow, was handed multiple life sentences in 1988 after being convicted of 11 rapes, three attempted rapes and indecent assault. In 2010, while still behind bars, he was further convicted of the rape of a woman in Sheffield in 1981, for which he was convicted. He had threatened her with a screwdriver and raped her while her young child was hiding behind the couch.

In total, Barlow was given 13 life sentences for his crimes, including another rape for which he was convicted in 2017. But it emerged over Christmas that he had already spent time outside of jail, ahead of his potential release by the parole board this month. The Manchester Evening News has now spoken to the son of one of Barlow’s victims, who has called for his mother’s attacker to remain behind bars for life.

The victim’s son, who chose to remain anonymous, described how one morning in 1981, when he was aged under six, he had been with his mother at their family home in Manchester when Barlow barged his way in before raping her. He said his family, and especially his mother, who died of cancer in her 40s, had never recovered from what happened that day.

Andrew Barlow, formerly known as Andrew Longmire, was given 13 life sentences for a series of rapes, one of which happened in Sheffield. The child of one of his victims says he is 'disgusted' at plans to release Barlow from prison

He told the MEN he was ’disgusted and appalled’ by the decision to release Barlow and had ‘cried my eyes’ out when he found out. He said he didn’t believe Barlow ‘should ever come out’ of prison after what he had put his many victims and their families through, and he told how he had made a formal request to the Parole Board for the decision to be reconsidered.

The decision to release Barlow was reportedly made on November 30, with his release conditions including GPS trail monitoring, drug testing, signing-in appointments, a curfew, as well as reporting for supervision and disclosing any developing relationships. He had previously been transferred to open conditions in January 2021 after a recommendation by the Parole Board was accepted by the Secretary of State.

Andrew Barlow: Man whose mother was raped by Sheffield sex attacker 'disgusted' by plans to release him