Spanish fisherman jailed for sex attack (From Western Telegraph)

Spanish fisherman jailed for sex attack

A SPANISH FISHERMAN, who carried out a terrifying sex attack within hours of landing in Milford Haven, has been jailed for four years.

Manuel Garcia Blanco followed a 21-year-old woman from a nightclub in the town and pulled her to the ground.

After sexually assaulting her, he hit her in the face and ran off. She told two men what had happened and they followed him back to his trawler and called the police.

Blanco, aged 28, admitted indecent assault and causing actual bodily harm. He denied attempted rape and the prosecution accepted the plea. Creighton Harvey, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court how the woman had decided to walk home from the Wall Street disco around 2 am after being told she would have to wait 15 minutes for a taxi.

As she made her way home, she heard footsteps behind her and started to worry.

It was Blanco. He grabbed her from behind, put a gloved hand across her mouth and forced her to the floor, he said.

Blanco, who had drunk ten pints of lager, then assaulted her.

The woman, who weighs only seven stone, put up a brave struggle but Blanco slapped her across the face and then punched her on the nose. She felt her mouth fill with blood, said Mr Harvey.

Blanco left the scene but the woman came across two men she knew and told them what had happened.

They followed Blanco to his boat. They alerted the police and he was arrested.

The court heard that the woman had since suffered loss of confidence and low esteem. She had difficulty sleeping and had to give up her job. Blancos barrister Chris Clee said his client could not speak English and would have difficulty in jail.

The judge, Mr Justice Gerald Elias, told Blanco the attack had been traumatic for his victim.

This was a most terrifying attack. You put her in considerable fear and the court must take a severe view of it, he added.

The court heard that Blanco will be deported in the public interest once he has served his sentence.