Attempted rape in Northampton saw man tell victim at knifepoint: ‘If you scream, I will kill you’

A man has been imprisoned after attempting to rape a woman in Northampton, whilst holding scissors to her throat.

Matt Mellor, aged 40, of Kelmarsh Avenue in Wigston, Leicestershire, appeared at Northampton Crown Court on Friday, June 10 after pleading guilty to attempted rape, possession of a knife and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The court heard that, on February 26 this year between 1.30am and 2am, Mellor drove his vehicle from Leicestershire to Northampton. He then spotted a 20-year-old woman in Wellingborough Road and began to follow her in his car before parking in Barry Road and exiting his vehicle.

Nicola Moore, prosecuting, said that CCTV showed Mellor following the young woman before he grabbed her from behind, pulled her to the floor and covered her mouth and nose with his hands.

The court heard that Mellor held scissors to the victim’s throat and told her: “I have a knife. Take your trousers off. If you scream, I will kill you.”

A light in a nearby house turned on and Mellor then fled the scene, the court heard. Police were able to use the CCTV footage to trace the defendant’s car back to his home in Leicestershire and Mellor was arrested the following day.

The victim said, in a statement, that the attack left her feeling “scared, paranoid and wary.” She said that she has since been unable to return to work because she suffers from panic attacks whenever she leaves the house. This has, consequently, led to financial difficulties at home, the court heard.

She said: “I feel like because of this, I can’t be myself and I am struggling to see any closure ahead.”

Mellor has 13 previous convictions that date back to 2000 including indecent assaults of victims under the ages of 14 and 16, breach of community order, harassment and malicious communication (sending letters with indecent content).

The court heard that Mellor has targeted lone women in the past - including a young female student, whom he followed from her university’s library before sexually assaulting her.

Phil Gibbs, mitigating, told the court there is “nothing” he can say to improve Mellor’s position other than his guilty plea at the earliest opportunity and his compliance with the police.

Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane said Mellor demonstrated “entrenched predatory behaviour” and minimised his responsibility by blaming his actions on alcohol. She said that he “clearly” moved out of the area where he thought he would be recognised to commit the offence.

Judge Crane said: “You have engaged with intervention and worked with a private therapist but unfortunately that does not seem to prevent you from acting on your sexual fantasies.”

Mellor was sentenced to six years and eight months imprisonment for the attempted rape with an extended licence of eight years, 16 months imprisonment to run concurrently for the possession of a knife and a further two years imprisonment to run concurrently for breaching the sexual harm prevention order.

Mellor was sentenced to a total of 14 years and eight months imprisonment.