Jail for sex attacker who ‘tackled’ woman out walking her dog

Oliver Carr approached the middle-aged victim in Greenhead Park, Huddersfield, on July 27 last year and struck up a conversation about her dog.

But when she tried to walk away from him he persisted in following her.

Sentencing Carr yesterday at Leeds Crown Court, Judge Tom Bayliss QC, said that happened for about 10 minutes before he “threw himself” at his terrified victim pinning her to the floor with his full body weight.

He began touching the woman sexually but when she fought back and was screaming for help he ran off.

His victim was left tearful, distressed and shaken and was giving police a description of her attacker when she saw Carr returning to the area.

Judge Bayliss said Carr, who was under the influence of alcohol, was aggressive towards the police officer arresting him and denied any sexual motive.

He said Carr had maintained that attitude until the woman was in the witness box at his trial last month when, after her evidence in chief was given in a video recording, he changed his plea to guilty to a sexual assault on her.

It was clear from her demeanour that she had been adversely affected by her ordeal which had also aggravated an existing shoulder injury but by his plea he had saved her the ordeal of being cross-examined in court.

“This was a violent sexual assault by you on a complete stranger in a public park. An attack like this has an extremely traumatic effect on the victim but it also has an impact on the whole community,” he said.

“People are entitled to go about their everyday lives without the fear of an attack such as this. No one should have to look over their shoulder when they go out into the street or into a public park.”

Carr, 22, then of Eldon Royd Court, Eldon Road, Marsh, lately of Priestthorpe Lane, Bingley, was also ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely and was banned from working with children in the future.

Sarah Barlow, representing Carr, said seeing the woman in the witness box had made him realise he did not want her to suffer any more at his hands.

His remorse was genuine but he was still at a loss to know why he had behaved in such a way that night.

He was immature and came from a difficult background but he was keen to address his difficulties and the probation service believed they could work with him.