Rapist who cut throat gets life

Robert Bridges left the woman for dead in Bourley Woods

A handyman who admitted the rape and attempted murder of a 38-year-old woman whose throat he slashed with a hunting knife has been jailed for life.

The woman was walking her dog in Aldershot, Hampshire, when Robert Bridges attacked her.

Winchester Crown Court had heard that when the victim tried to flee, Bridges cut her windpipe and left her for dead.

Bridges, 47, from Farnborough, was jailed for life and will not be considered for parole for 16 years.

The judge said he may never be released as he presents a substantial danger to women.

Identity parade

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was nearing the end of her walk in Bourley Woods in Aldershot when she was attacked on 27 August.

Bridges, who worked at the privately-owned 85-acre Tekels Park Estate in Camberley, Surrey, led the woman's dog away and left her for dead after the attack.

He also removed all her clothes in an attempt to deprive detectives of any scientific evidence.

The victim watched him disappear before running towards the road, where she flagged down a passing car.

Bridges was arrested two weeks after the attack and was later picked out by the woman at an identity parade.

As well as pleading guilty to two counts of rape and one of attempted murder, he also admitted two counts of sexual assault.