Care worker jailed after brutal attack

1:45pm Tuesday 2nd September 2008

A NURSING home worker who punched a woman unconscious before attempting to rape her in the street has been jailed for nine years.

Adam Shakeshaft’s vicious attack only came to a halt when four men noticed what was happening as they drove past and they chased the 21-year-old away.

During his trial at Liverpool Crown Court the 47-year-old victim told the jury that she feared she “was going to die” during the brutal assault.

Shakeshaft was found guilty of two charges of attempted rape by the jury after an eight-day trial in June.

Jailing him, Judge Adrian Lyon said: “This was a brutal, sustained attack on a vulnerable woman walking home at night.

“She was vulnerable be-cause she had had something to drink, but as she herself has said, a woman ought to be able to walk home at night without the fear of violence that was inflicted upon her.”

The father-of-one, who has no previous convictions, continues to maintain his innocence and shook his head as he was told he would have to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

The victim’s four rescuers – Tony Lloyd, Henry Nicholson, Joshua Fletcher and Craig Griffiths – were praised by Judge Lyon, who awarded them £100 each from the public purse.

He said: “They acted with remarkable thought and attention. They put them-selves at risk as they confronted the defendant.”

Shakeshaft, of Dale Avenue, Bromborough, pounced on his victim as she walked home from Spital train station in the early hours of December 15 last year after her partner went ahead to cook food.

As she continued along Mill Road, Bromborough, Shakeshaft approached and made obscene threats, before punching her twice in the face with his clenched fist and knocking her to the ground.

As she lay on the floor Shakeshaft, who had been on a work Christmas night out, became enraged when she resisted his advances and he punched her again, knocking her unconscious. She came around to find him lying on top of her.

Fortunately a car cont-aining four young men then came along the road from the nearby A41 and saw Shakeshaft with his trousers around his ankles lying on her and they stopped their vehicle.

He got up, tried to pull up his trousers and ran off. Three of the men gave chase while one man went to assist the victim.

The police were called and meanwhile Shakeshaft went to the nursing home in Spital Road where he worked and colleagues noticed he was dishevelled and had blood on his shirt. He claimed he had been beaten up and accused of raping a woman he had been trying to help.

When interviewed Shakeshaft lied about what had happened though eventually he admitted being at the scene and striking a mature woman two blows to the head.

But he denied being involved in sexual activity with her.