Wolverhampton rapist jailed for life after attacking stranger in front of child

James Buchanan spotted the pair shopping and tailed them for five minutes until they got home, a judge heard.

The 25-year-old - plagued by fantasy images of sexual violence - admitted going out that day specifically to find somebody to rape, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

Moments after seeing where the single mother lived he called with the ruse of looking for a man called Bob. He turned violent after she explained it was the wrong address and tried to close the door.

As the frightened toddler watched the woman was grabbed round the throat and pushed up against a wall inside the flat while being warned both she and her daughter would be killed if she did not do what she was told, explained Mr Hugh O'Brien Quinn, prosecuting.

Brutal Buchanan took her into the living room and closed the door, blocking the view of the little girl as her mother was ordered to undress and lie on the floor.

The attacker ignored the victim's pleas to stop, forcing her to submit by tightening his grip around her throat and issuing more death threats.

Mr O'Brien Quinn continued: "She was terrified for her life but her thoughts were only for her daughter's life."

Buchanan's attitude changed after he had raped the woman on October 22 last year. He apologised, left the address and gave himself up to police later the same day.

He said his head was full of fantasy images of sexual violence which had got stronger and were beyond his control. He confessed to police: "I am not going to lie. I went out to look for a victim."

He had attacked his foster mother 'out of the blue' with a claw hammer in October 2010 and attempted to strangle a social worker two years later, it was said.

The latest woman to suffer - and her daughter - are both psychologically scarred. She has trouble sleeping, suffers nightmares and flashbacks.

She revealed in a victim impact statement: "I am constantly having to reassure her my daughter she is safe in her own home, which is hard for me, because I don't feel safe either.

"Why me? Why wasn't seeing my daughter enough to stop him?" The little girl explained to police what she saw the 'naughty man' do to her mum, the court heard.

Mr Michael Anning, defending, revealed Buchanan claimed to have committed other, undetected sex crime and added: "He wishes to be rid of whatever it is that makes him behave in this way."

Buchanan from Tettenhall Road, Tettenhall admitted rape and was jailed for life by Judge James Burbidge QC. He will serve at least six years before the Parole Board can consider his possible release but will only set him free when they believe it safe to do so.