And his victim bravely spoke to the Courier about her ordeal.

After being released from prison for a previous crime, 37-year-old Robert Jason Dalling had been staying in a house in a residential street in north Leamington.


WHAT DO YOU THINK?
We'd like to hear your views on this story. You can send us your comments by simply clicking on this email:
This is what I think

SEND US YOUR STORIES
If you have a story for our newsdesk, please click on the following link:
Click here to email your report


It is owned by the Rev Morris Rodham, of St Mary's church, and used as a home to help 'rehabilitate' criminals as part of its Pathway Project, a scheme designed to help people find faith and turn their backs on crime and drugs.

But is not accredited as a hostel - or staffed - and Dalling, who was one of the people the project was trying to help, tried to rape his neighbour after beating her up and threatening to kill her with a screwdriver.

He received an indeterminate sentence for assault with intent to commit a sexual assault at Sheffield Crown Court on Monday, where he was also on trial for a separate charge of sexually assaulting a ten-year-old girl.

The Leamington woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons but bravely spoke to the Courier about her ordeal this week, wants people to know about the church's 'project', which police confirmed is trying to continue in the town under the leadership of Mr Rodham.

On December 27 Dalling, who was only staying in the house for a fortnight, knocked on her door at about 8pm holding a bicycle clamp and lied to her that his housemate had stolen his bike.

She felt it was a "sensitive subject" to discuss in the street so invited Dalling in and gave him a can of beer.
But after about 20 minutes, he stood up, took a screwdriver out of his back pocket and told the woman that she "knew what he wanted" and that she was "going to give it to him".

The woman screamed - at which point Dalling repeatedly punched her in the face with "grave force" breaking her nose and causing serious bruising.

At one point he held the screwdriver to her neck and threatened to kill her.

But the clamp that Dalling had brought round was lying on the floor next to the victim, which she was then able to grab and hit him with, helping her make an escape.

Sentencing Dalling, Judge John Dowse told him: "Anybody looking at this case ought to have had the opportunity to view these photographs and see the state you left this lady in and the beating you gave her.

"You told your psychiatrist you had previously inflicted beatings on a girlfriend and had sado-masochistic tendencies with your partners.

"You convinced yourself that your victim wanted to be hit and inflicted considerable violence upon her.

"You took a screwdriver out and held it towards her face telling her you wanted to kill her. There is a very serious pattern of behaviour on your behalf and I am left with the unavoidable conclusion that you are likely to be a significant risk to the public."

Investigating officer Det Con Sarah Mumford praised the victim's bravery during the past seven months.

She said: "This man is clearly a danger from whom the public should be protected.

"If it wasn't for the bravery and courage of the victim, who was literally fighting for her life, he would almost certainly have raped her."