Exeter sexual predator jailed

SEXUAL predator Alexander Wilson has been described as “every woman’s  worst nightmare” for brutally attacking a woman in  the street.

The 21-year-old, of Powderham Crescent, St James, was   jailed for four years and also  given a four-year extended  licence to serve on release.

Wilson, who had been  warned by police about his  sinister behaviour before  the  attack, stalked the woman  along Pennsylvania Road at  night, put his hand up her  skirt then kicked her on the  floor as she fought him off.

Judge Graham Cottle told  Wilson: “It’s every woman’s  worst nightmare, to be walking home at night and sexually attacked by a complete  stranger.”

Wilson had pleaded guilty  to actual bodily harm and  intent to commit a sexual  offence, on June 21 last year.  He admitted it on the basis  that he had been intending  to commit a sexual offence  which would not have involved rape.

The prosecution said two  unnamed charges, involving  a similar alleged incident  with another woman on May  22 last year, would lie on  file.

Prosecutor Malcolm Galloway said passer-by Kevin  Russell alerted police on  June 3 last year when he  repeatedly saw Wilson, who  had distinctive waist-length  hair at the time, following  women along Sidwell  Street.

“Mr Russell was concerned and he followed the  male on a couple of occasions to make sure he would  not do anything to the females,” said Mr Galloway.

Mr Russell then alerted  police on patrol, who gave  Wilson a “strong warning.”

 Police warned Wilson  again on June 20 last year,  when they spotted him near  a front door in Old Tiverton  Road with his zip undone.

They thought he was a  drunk student trying to urinate, so let him go.

Mr Russell was again in  Sidwell Street, in the early  hours of the next day, when  he spotted Wilson urinating  in a shop doorway.

He alerted police again  and officers shouted at the  defendant, who walked  away.

Around 1am, Wilson followed a woman on her way  home along Pennsylvania  Road.

 “She felt a hand up her  skirt,” said Mr Galloway.  “She was trying to wrestle  with him, then he dragged  her into the driveway. It was  very dark, she was screaming constantly. He held her  from behind, pulling a  chunk of her hair and her  skirt up around her waist.

“She tried to get up, he  pulled her to the floor and  kicked her torso and head.”

The woman’s shouts alerted neighbours who came to  her help and saw Wilson  running away. He was arrested shortly afterwards in  Union Road and was later  linked to the crime by fibres  on the woman’s clothes.

The woman said in her  statement: “I am angry and  disgusted that such a twisted  human being had his hands  all over me.”

Defence counsel Julian  Dale said the defendant  wanted to apologise, had no  previous convictions and police would now be able to  keep track of him.

But Judge Cottle said he  was not prepared to impose a  shorter sentence.

 He told Wilson: “No doubt  you contemplated a serious  sexual offence, of which the  only thing which prevented  you was the courage with  which she fought you off.”

Wilson was told to put his  details on the Sex Offenders  Register indefinitely.