A man who sexually assaulted a woman before viciously biting her face after a drunken birthday night out has today been jailed for two and a half years.
Nicky Clark, of Hampden Gardens, was his victim’s window cleaner and the two had been sending flirtacious text messages.
After celebrating his 24th birthday on November 24 last year, Clark went to the woman’s flat in Aylesbury to try to have sex with her.
When she resisted, Clark got angry and bit her on the cheek, leaving her with an ‘extremely nasty’ bruise.
An elderly neighbour who had a key to the woman’s flat heard her screams, came down to help and got Clark to leave.
Rachel Drake, prosecuting, told Oxford Crown Court that Clark drunkenly text the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, saying he wanted to come round, but she told him she did not want to see him.
When Clark arrived at her home, she was in bed and quickly put a dressing gown on.
Ms Drake said: “It was clear to her the defendant was only interested in one thing.
“She made it clear that she wasn’t interested in anything sexual.
“He was shouting ‘I’ve finished with my girlfriend and it’s my birthday’.”
Clark pinned her down on the bed, ripped off her clothes and pressed himself against her.
When she resisted he bit her cheek.
Ms Drake said: “She was screaming and shouting throughout this.
“She was fortunate that her neighbour upstairs, a lady in her 70s, has a key to her flat and was listening and was brave enough to come to her assistance.
“She was able to get him to leave and got the victim to call the police.
“The victim was appalled and frightened by the degree of violence used against her.”
Clark’s defence lawyer, Daren Samar, said his client had not sought out a victim but was acting on previous interactions with the woman.
Mr Samar said: “This complainant had expressed, physically and verbally, sexual interest in the defendant.
“I’m not suggesting what happened was right, but the reality is this was a young man who had never behaved in this way.
“He is of good character. The court can be confident he is unlikely to come back to court again.”
Sentencing, Judge Ian Pringle said he regarded the attack as a ‘serious sexual assault’ and the bite as a ‘serious aggravating factor’.
Judge Pringle jailed Clark for 21 months for sexual assault on a woman and nine months for causing ABH, to be served consecutively – a total of 30 months.
Clark, who has been living with a partner and children, will also be put on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.