Brutal attacker jailed for nearly 30 years after leaving woman for dead in Newcastle field
Thug’s vicious assault leaves victim fighting for her life
Matthew Stevens, 28, has been locked up for 29 years after a jury found him guilty of attempted murder at Newcastle Crown Court. The horrific attack happened in the early hours of March 10, 2022, when Stevens met his victim on a night out.
Ignoring her pleas, Stevens forced the woman into a taxi and took her to Brunswick Village, Newcastle. CCTV later showed them walking along Drysdale Crescent towards nearby fields just before he launched a violent, savage attack that left her barely conscious and half-naked in the grass.
Dog walker discovers victim in critical condition
A dog walker found the badly injured woman hours later. With severe swelling to her face and her clothes scattered across the field, she was rushed to hospital for critical care. The trauma was so severe she couldn’t remember what happened.
Evidence leads police to Stevens’ door
Police pieced together the case from telecom data, witness accounts, and CCTV footage. When officers arrested Stevens at his home on Drysdale Crescent, his clothes were blood-stained, and they recovered the victim’s bracelets he had taken.
Detective slams attacker’s shocking cruelty
“Stevens is a danger to women and society,” said Detective Inspector Tam Fowler of Northumbria Police.
“He tricked a lone woman into a taxi, took her somewhere she didn’t want to go, then beat her within an inch of her life and went home to sleep like nothing had happened. There’s no place in our community for someone like him.”
DI Fowler praised the victim’s bravery for facing her attacker in court and called the sentence “justice served”. He thanked officers, staff, and witnesses who helped ensure Stevens can’t hurt anyone else.
