A WORCESTER man has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 28 years and nine months for attempted murder and sexual assault.
Anthony Roberts, 56, of Amber Heights was handed the sentence this afternoon at Worcester Crown Court.
During the early hours of May 7, Roberts sexually assaulted a 71-year-old woman on Kleve Walk before stabbing her multiple times and leaving her for dead on the riverside path.
Det Chief Insp Gareth Lougher said: “This was an incredibly violent attack on an innocent woman, which shocked the local community to the core.
“Thankfully, the victim survived but her road to mental and physical recovery will be a long one. The outcome could have been very different.
“I’d like to commend her on the courage she has shown in helping us to bring her attacker to justice.
“I have no doubt that the mental impact of this attack will haunt the victim for the rest of her life, but I hope that today’s sentence will allow her to begin to move forwards.
“I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank the team involved in bringing Roberts to justice. He was located and arrested extremely quickly and charged within 24 hours of the attack.
“I hope this case shows that we take violence incredibly seriously and won’t hesitate to take action against perpetrators.”
If you’ve been affected by sexual assault or violence, then local support is available from the Victim Advice Line.
The Victim Advice Line is a free and confidential service offering advice, practical help and emotional support to people affected by crime, regardless how long ago it happened or whether it has been reported to the police.
Support is available by telephone on 0800 9523000, via email at [email protected] and through live chat on victimadviceline.org.uk.
