Police dog hunts down attacker who hid in the bushes and ambushed lone woman in Todmorden

The dog Max was used to find David Watson, 53, after his Ford Fusion car was found parked near to the scene of the attack which took place in the Rochdale Road area of Todmorden in January.

Watson, of Bankside Lane, Bacup, had been driving in the area when he spotted the woman walking along the road with her headphones in listening to music.

Bradford Crown Court heard how Watson parked up ahead of his victim and then hid in bushes before attacking the unsuspecting woman from behind as she walked by.

Recorder Margia Mostafa said Watson put his hand over the woman’s mouth in an bid to silence her screams and forced her to the ground.

The woman managed to break free and pulled Watson’s glasses off before her cries for help alerted nearby residents.

Watson left in the car as people came to help the victim, but the court heard that he later returned to the scene because he couldn’t drive without his glasses.

After failing to find his glasses Watson realised the police were attending and tried to hide, but his beanie-type hat and hoody were found in the parked car and a dog-handler and Max soon located him among a pile of wooden pallets.

It is understood that Max held onto Watson by his leg and he later attended hospital for the bite injuries to be dressed.

Watson denied the attack and claimed in interview that he had been “flirting” with the woman and trying to chat her up, but last month a jury found him guilty of false imprisonment and committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence.

In a victim impact statement the complainant described the severe psychological effects on her including sleeplessness, flashbacks and panic attacks.

“She finds that when she is walking out on the streets she is consciously looking behind her and feeling scared of being attacked,” said prosecutor David McGonigal.

Watson wrote a letter following his conviction in which he accepted responsibility and expressed his regret for the crime.

Recorder Mostafa said the complainant had given evidence at the trial with great courage and there was no doubt that the attack had affected her greatly.

“She was a lone woman walking home,” said Recorder Mostafa.

“She was vulnerable because it was at night. She was ambushed. She was forced to the floor. There was thereafter an attack and a struggle.”

In addition to the jail sentence the judge also ordered Watson to sign on the sex offender register for life and made an indefinite restraining order which bans him from having any contact with the complainant.