SCUNTHORPE MAN JAILED FOR ATTEMPTING TO RAPE WOMAN AND ATTACKING POLICE
A complete stranger forced his way into a Scunthorpe house and attempted to rape one woman and sexually assault her mother, a court heard.Their screams alerted a neighbour who rang 999.
At Grimsby Crown Court, Judge Gurdial Singh said the attacker was a danger to the public and jailed him for ten-and-a-half years with a further licence period of eight years due to the high risk of further harm to members of the public.
Matthew Nurse, 35, of Normanby Road, Scunthorpe, admitted attempted rape, wounding and sexual assault.
He further admitted causing grievous bodily harm and assault on a Humberside Police officer.
He later told police in interview that he had been headbutted by a stranger in the street and had sought refuge at the home of the mother and her daughter.
But prosecuting at Grimsby Crown Court, Craig Lowe said the older woman had sat down after her evening meal when Nurse broke in through the front door, breaking the chain lock.
The pensioner was attacked in the dining room, including being punched and kicked in the head.
Mr Lowe said she had marks on her hands as she tried to defend herself from the blows.
She screamed for her daughter.
When she entered the room Nurse struck the daughter on the head as she tried to push him out of the home.
The daughter tried to use items to get between her and the attacker, including a mop.
Nurse then grabbed the mop and used it to strike her.
She was briefly successful in forcing him out of the door.
But he barged his way back in, told the prosecutor.
Mr Lowe said he barged in and said he was going to "kill" her and demanded sex.
He pounced on top of her on the ground and ripped clothing from her.
Both women suffered injuries.
The mother then tried to get the attacker off her daughter.
He then attacked the mother again and sexually assaulted her.
Mr Lowe said the woman's dog barked loudly and the attacker said he was going to kill the dog.
Thanks to the alert neighbour, police arrived in a rapid response and attempted to arrest Nurse.
He became violent and attacked a female police officer.
After his arrest, Nurse told police he had consumed two half-litre bottles of vodka that morning and had been attacked in the street near the home.
He denied committing the offences but later admitted them.
Mr Lowe said the ordeal had left the mother and daughter anxious and caused loss of sleep.
Nurse had 34 convictions for 73 offences, including attempted arson in 2020 when he stood with a lighter next to a fuel pump at a petrol station in Grimsby.
The attempted rape was committed while he was on licence from prison, the court heard.
Mitigating, Michele Stuart-Lofthouse said her client had a chaotic past, with difficult upbringing and mental health problems.
The defence barrister said there was a "complicated myriad of issues." She said he wished to apologise for his actions.
He sat with head bowed throughout the court hearing, while restrained in handcuffs linked to a dock officer.
Judge Singh told Nurse: "You punched and kicked a pensioner on the ground in her own home.
There is no doubt you are a danger to the public." As well as jailing Nurse for ten-and-a-half years and imposing a licence period of eight years, the judge also issued an indefinite restraining order to not go near the road in which the incident happened, or the victims themselves.
The judge thanked the daughter for attending court.
"I can't begin to imagine how you felt at the time.
Nothing I say or do is going to make it better.
Thank you for the courage you have shown in coming to court and for supporting the prosecution."
