We hate Lotto win rapist Iorworth Hoare living in our quiet village

LOTTO win rapist Iorworth Hoare is the richest man in his village — and the most hated.

His rural community is permanently uneasy at the thought of a convicted sex attacker in their midst — even though he is supposedly rehabilitated.

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And they are now living in even greater fear with the knowledge that he has been granted full access to his £7.2million fortune.

One said: “None of us dare approach him or get into a dispute in case he takes us to court, especially now he’s got all his money.

“We are a really close-knit community. Since he’s moved in, it’s been like a black cloud.”

Hoare, 70, won on the Lotto in 2004 while on weekend leave from an open prison.

He was released in March 2005 but was prevented from having unlimited access to his money under the conditions of his licence.

Instead, he was given a monthly allowance of £8,666.

The rest of his fortune — which ballooned to more than £10million due to shrewd investments — could only be accessed with the consent of trustees, which included a Home Office official and Hoare’s lawyer and accountant.

He has now won full access to his money after a legal battle.

It has angered those living near a converted church in the north of England, which has been Hoare’s home for a number of years.

Yesterday they told how his arrival turned their lives upside-down.

Villagers are scared to let their daughters out and some drive to other areas to go for a walk for fear of encountering him.

One parent said: “It’s been a nightmare since he moved in.

“I’ve got daughters and was scared to let them out in the village without an escort.

“My wife drove behind them when they were out running to make sure they were safe.

“There’s nothing we can do about this ruling, granting him access to his millions. All we can hope is that he takes the money and moves far away from here.

“He isn’t a pleasant man, you can tell by his mannerisms. He always spits at the ground and comes across as menacing.

“We drive about a mile down the road for our daily walk because we don’t want to bump into him.

“We see him walking his dogs every day. He takes them in the cemetery and lets them do their business everywhere, it’s so disrespectful.

“His house used to be beautiful but it’s a mess now — like something off The Addams Family.”

Another local, who also did not want to be named for fear of re- prisals from Hoare, added: “Only in the UK can you go to jail for rape, serve time, win the lottery and buy an old church.

“Personally, I think the money should go to the victims or a women’s aid charity.”

Tory MP David Morris added yesterday: “This is a sickening state of affairs that he can get hold of this life-changing sum given the severity of his crime.

“Ministers need to explore every avenue to see if the money can go to the victim’s family or charity.”

Hoare maintains a low profile and refuses to give interviews.

When The Sun approached him at his £450,000 home yesterday, he peeked around his front door before saying a curt “goodbye” and slamming it shut.

He was sentenced to life in 1989 for attempting to rape former teacher Shirley Woodman, then 59, in Leeds, following other convictions including rape and indecent assaults.

At the time, Mr Justice Rougier warned: “Every moment you are at liberty, some woman is at risk.”

Hoare, a coal miner’s son born in Leeds, was being held at Leyhill open prison in Gloucestershire when he won the Lotto jackpot while on weekend leave at a Middlesbrough bail hostel in 2004.

He bragged to fellow inmates: “I’m going to be sound for the rest of my life.”

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Following Hoare’s release from jail, the authorities kept his whereabouts secret in a £10,000-a-month operation — with taxpayers picking up the bill.

Journalists tried to track him down as he was moved in secret from bail hostel to bail hostel amid public outrage over his win.

A ban on prisoners gambling did not include the Lotto at the time, although that loophole has now been closed.

I was part of a team from The Sun that finally tracked down Hoare to a bail house in Sunderland in September 2005.

Neighbours were horrified when they discovered his true identity.

He next emerged in January 2006, living among millionaires in posh Darras Hall near Newcastle — just around the corner from football idol Alan Shearer.

Hoare — who used the name Edward Thomas after his prison release — shelled out £700,000 for the six-bedroom mansion.

But he sold his Darras Hall pile after paint was thrown at it and the words “Leave or die” were daubed on his gates.

He moved to various homes before the converted church.

In 2016, Hoare was arrested for allegedly flashing at a woman dog walker and attacking a female cop who went to arrest him.

He was held on remand in Durham prison but the case was dropped.

Twenty years after his attack on Shirley Woodman, she won a legal fight for compensation from Hoare and was awarded £50,000.

Shirley died last year aged 92. Her daughter Shelley Wolfson, 67, said: “She gave all of the money to charity and it’s what he should be doing with his.”

The Ministry of Justice said: “All offenders released on licence are subject to strict conditions and will be recalled to prison if they break the rules.”