Edward Connors

Edward Connors, a 30-year-old convicted rapist, and his partner Leanna Connors subjected a vulnerable 92-year-old woman to a terrifying ordeal in her Burnage home on a warm June evening in 2022. The couple, driven by their heroin addiction, targeted the elderly victim after Connors noticed her bedroom window left open for ventilation.

Using ladders to climb into the property around 11pm, Connors entered the woman's bedroom and bound her wrists with a dressing gown cord, forcing her downstairs. He then used her house keys to admit Leanna Connors, who removed the victim's jewellery, including her wedding ring, and disconnected the phone to prevent her from seeking help. While Leanna guarded the victim, Edward searched upstairs for more loot. The frail woman was gagged with a pair of tights, her feet bound with another pair, and secured to a chair using a vacuum cleaner cable. The couple locked the house and fled with a lifetime's worth of valuables.

The victim eventually freed herself and contacted police. At Manchester Crown Court in March 2023, the court heard the full extent of the 'appalling' crime. Leanna Connors wept as the judge considered a life sentence but opted for extended sentences for public protection. Edward received a total of 14 years, comprising 10 years and 10 months in prison plus three years and two months on extended licence. The Manchester Evening News reported on the case, emphasising the couple's desperation and the victim's resilience in surviving the attack.