A TEENAGE rapist is appealing against the life sentence imposed for a sustained attack on a young woman out walking her dog.

Martin Samuel Walsh was described as "extremely dangerous, particularly to young women", by a judge passing sentence at Durham Crown Court, last November.

Walsh, then aged 19, admitted two counts of rape, one of sexual assault and one of attempting to choke his victim, at a previous hearing.

It followed the attack on the woman he dragged into bushes as she walked her dog on the Sustrans footpath near Stanley, County Durham, early on the evening of July 11, last year.

He was detained a short time later after youngsters, alerted by the victim, gave chase and cornered Walsh, with the help of a local allotment holder.

They have subsequently received High Sheriff Awards for their actions and two of the teenagers, Johnathan Stoker and Adam Barker, have both now been recommended for an Anne Frank Award, to be presented in London next month.

As he was classed as posing "a significant risk" to the public, Walsh, now 20, qualified for an indeterminate life sentence, under the terms of the Criminal Justice Act of 2003, which came into effect in April 2005.

Judge Tim Hewitt said that had he imposed a determinate sentence, it would have been for 12 years.

Given a 50 per cent "discount" for his guilty pleas, Judge Hewitt said he would, therefore, recommend that Walsh should not be eligible for consideration for parole until he has served six years behind bars, less the near four months spent in custody after his arrest and before being sentenced.

But Judge Hewitt added: "You will remain in custody until you no longer present a risk, which will be determined by the parole board. It may be many years before you are released."

His barrister, Ros Scott Bell, had urged the judge to take into consideration Walsh's young age and credit him for his early guilty pleas.

She also highlighted the abuse Walsh suffered as a child which left him in an "angry and depressed state" at the time of the attack.

Walsh's appeal over his sentence will be heard by Appeal Court judges, in London, next week.

The Court of Appeal yesterday confirmed the case has been listed for a full hearing on Tuesday.