A clear case of self defence happened when a woman attacked a sexual predator, Mark Willis, as he tried to attack her.
Willis, a warehouse worker from Gloucestershire, spotted a seemingly vulnerable 25-year-old woman walking the streets of Cheltenham wearing headphones at 2am, and he thought he had found a prey, but he was absolutely wrong as his supposed prey is a seasoned kickboxer.
Willis grabbed the woman, punched her in the face and hit her repeatedly.
He then climbed on top of her, groped her and also tried to remove her clothes.
During the encounter, the sex attacker told her: “Be quiet and do as I tell you and you won’t get hurt.”
Surprisingly, she replied with a verbal and metaphorical “go fuck yourself.”
Willis who had similar conviction previously, was on Monday, September 7, 2015 sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail for the crime, and made to sign the sex offenders’ register.
Following the trial she was awarded £500 by the High Sheriff for her help in the apprehension of Willis, as reported in the Western Daily Press.
Narrating her harrowing ordeal at the Bristol Crown Court, the woman said: “My legs were free, so I lifted my left leg up on to his shoulder and around the back of his neck.
“I crossed my right leg over and squeezed together as hard as I could.
“He seemed to struggle for air – which was the point. His head was locked down. He lifted his right hand and pounded as hard as he could on the side of my face.
“I closed my eyes and held it for as long as I could, hoping he would pass out in a few seconds. Then I felt his body go limp.
“I flipped him off, rolled over and crawled through the bushes to the door of the house.
“The reality is, this kind of incident is every woman’s nightmare.
“I’m extremely pleased this traumatic ordeal is finally over and that I can move forward with my life.
“I hope the case will encourage others to come forward and speak to police if they are the victim of sexual assault.”
Detective Constable Faye Satchwell-Bennett, who led the investigation, said, “We are pleased with the lengthy custodial sentence passed upon Mr Willis, who clearly poses significant risk to the public, also having a previous conviction for a similar kidnapping offence against a female.
“There’s little doubt in anybody’s mind that without her martial arts skills the attack could have been far worse.”
During the trial, judge William Hart praised the woman’s bravery. “The reality is, this kind of incident is every woman’s nightmare,” he said.
