John Cronin: Infamous East Lothian sex attacker John Cronin released from prison

One of Scotland’s most notorious serial offenders has reportedly been freed from prison after being jailed for scamming a woman out of thousands of pounds.

Convicted sex attacker John Cronin, who has been branded “one of the most dangerous sexual predators in Britain”, was jailed for two years for scamming thousands of pounds from a woman after posing as a wealthy banker.

Cronin, 50, originally from Tranent, East Lothian, was handed a 28-month sentence and ordered to repay £2,000 to victim Kathleen Hannon when he was sentenced in October 2020.

During the trial, Birmingham Crown Court was told that Cronin conned his then girlfriend out of a large cash sum, telling her he wanted the money to buy a car. He then went with her to a bank where she withdrew £4,000.

John Cronin, a sex attacker from Tranent, who was sentenced at the High Court in July 1992 for an attack on a Tory party worker known only as Judy, in her Edinburgh home.

He was arrested later at her home in Coventry.

During proceedings his defence lawyer, Warren Ridley, admitted that Cronin had a lengthy record and was "absolutely terrified of the prospect of back to custody".

Ignoring the plea for a non-custodial sentence, Judge Peter Carr, told Cronin: “You have been a conman for many years”.

According to the Scottish Sun, Cronin has now been released.

An insider told the newspaper: “John Cronin is no longer in custody in an English prison. He’s been released”.

Ministry of Justice sources have confirmed that the sex attacker, who has been convicted multiple times for dishonesty, fraud and theft and has served sentences in Ireland and Sweden, is back in the community.

Speaking to the Scottish Sun, Ms Hannon, 58, claimed she has not received a penny of the £2,000 Cronin was ordered to repay.

She said: “It was to be expected he’d get out, but I am looking over my shoulder walking around. It’s put me back on edge again.

“He should be monitored, his criminal record goes back to when he was a young man. He needs checking, he’s a danger.”

in 1992, Cronin was given a life sentence for a horrific sex assault on Tory party activist 'Judy X' in Edinburgh while posing as a priest. She later bravely spoke out about her ordeal, revealing Cronin had attacked her with a poker before subjecting her to a sickening ordeal.

Despite a public outcry, he appealed the life sentence and it was later reduced to six years.

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