Matt Mellor, previously of Kelmarsh Avenue, Leicester, began following a woman in her twenties in Wellingborough Road, Northampton, around 1.50 a.m. on February 26, 2022.
He grabbed her from behind and dragged her to the ground, where he attempted to rape her at knifepoint, when she arrived at Lutterworth Road.
However, the woman managed to draw the attention of nearby residents, forcing Mellor to flee the scene in his car.
Police officers used CCTV, house-to-house inquiries, and assistance from local businesses to quickly identify Mellor as the suspect and bring him to justice.
He was arrested in Leicester the same day, charged, and admitted to the charges of attempted rape, possession of a bladed article, and breaching his sexual harm prevention order at an earlier court hearing in April this year.
Mellor, the court was told, is a very large man, standing about 6ft 10in tall, and his actions that night resulted in an absolutely terrifying experience for this woman – a woman who, like all women, should have been able to walk wherever she pleased without fear of such an attack.
The victim displayed incredible bravery in fighting him off while screaming for help.
Mellor was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison for all three offences last week at Northampton Crown Court, with an eight-year extension.
