Chilling footage has shown the moment a sex attacker stalked a woman as she walked home from a night out before covering her mouth and attempting to rape her.
Paul Jinks, 21, was captured on camera following his victim through the streets of Long Eaton, Derbyshire, on July 14 last year.
A court heard he grabbed her from behind and told her not to scream after putting his hand over her mouth during the terrifying attack.
The woman bravely tried to break free and fight the monster off before she then fell to the ground.
Jinks picked her up and dragged her backwards to a secluded grassy area where he hit her in the face.
He then proceeded to sexually assaulted her before attempting to rape her. The woman’s cries for help were heard by the residents of a nearby house who yelled at the offender to leave her alone and ran out onto the street to help.
Another homeowner called the police after spotting Jinks running through their garden as he tried to make his escape.
Officers attended the scene and found blood stains on a broken bin Jinks had climbed on as he ran away.
The blood was tested and found to belong to Jinks, who was believed to be living in the Cambridgeshire area on a traveller’s encampment.
CCTV footage showed Jinks had followed the woman for some time before the attack. He was also seen following at least two other women beforehand.
Officers in Cambridgeshire arrested him on July 24, ten days after the attack and he was charged with attempted rape.
Jinks, of no fixed address, admitted the offence and was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on February 7 to eight years and nine months, with an extended licence period of six years.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said: ‘Since this has happened I don’t feel like I will ever be able to go out on my own again, at least not anytime soon.
‘I feel like I would be terrified doing this and constantly looking behind my shoulder wondering who may appear behind me. I have heard about these things happening but I never thought that this would happen to me.’
Detective Constable Esther Hodson, who led the investigation for Derbyshire Police, said: ‘This was a truly horrifying incident where Jinks saw this woman, followed her and waited for his moment to attack her. She bravely tried to fight him off and thankfully when her screams were heard by people living nearby, Jinks was stopped in the act and fled the area.
‘He is clearly a very dangerous individual who poses a real threat to women so I’m glad that he is now off the streets and behind bars. I’d like to praise the woman’s incredible strength and courage throughout this case.’
‘The description and evidence she provided helped us to quickly identify Jinks and then get him locked up and she has shown exemplary bravery since this awful night.
‘We received huge amounts of CCTV from businesses and homeowners in the days following this incident, all of which have been crucial in helping us to build the case against Jinks and making sure he is sent to prison where he belongs.’
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