Court hears of woman's terror during Sherdley Park attack

The Star reported that Keenan Fairclough, 21, was jailed for 40 months for an attempted robbery at Sherdley Park.

Fairclough subjected his victim to the ordeal at Sherdley Park, during which he dragged her towards a bush before she managed to get away.

Matthew Conway, prosecuting, told the court on Monday that the victim had been running at the park on the afternoon of Friday, May 20 this year.

“At 1.45pm the victim was doing a run around Sherdley Park in St Helens,” Mr Conway said.

“On her second lap, she noticed a male, the defendant, hanging around and, in her words, dragging his feet by some bushes.

“On her third lap, the defendant was still in the same spot, and (she) suddenly felt someone grab her neck from behind in a chokehold and dragged her in the direction of a bush”.

The victim felt “lightheaded and “managed to wrestle (Fairclough’s) arm away and screamed ‘help’.”

Mr Conway added: “He (Fairclough) said ‘I want money’ and she told him she didn’t have any money but he could take her Air pods.”

Fairclough went on to say ‘I want money’ on “numerous occasions”.

Keenan Fairclough (Image: Merseyside Police)

The victim asked if there’s anyone who can help him and Fairclough replied ‘I don’t have family like that’ and that “she should get money for him”.

The victim managed to get away as a dog walker approached, who called the police.

In a victim impact personal statement read to the court by Mr Conway, the woman said: “I kept thinking to myself this could have been a lot worse than what it was if the woman hadn’t seen him attacking me.

“I don’t believe he was after money and I sometimes think he was going to kill me. I think to myself what would my children do if I wasn’t around."

The victim added that "even when my husband gives me a hug and puts his arms around me" she sometimes recoils.

She added that she no longer feels like going running due to the attack.

Liverpool Crown Court (Image: Stock)

In passing sentence, judge Neil Flewitt QC said the victim “says that she feared that you (Fairclough) may have wanted something other than money but this has ben charged as attempted robbery.

“What you did to her must have been an absolutely terrifying experience for a young woman. I’m satisfied from the victim personal statement this has had a significant psychological effect upon her.

"She stopped running, she recoils from the touch of her husband at times, and she is constantly anxious whenever she passes a single young man.”     

The court heard Fairclough was arrested on Monday, May 23, three days later after being seen by a woman at the park, who had seen a Facebook post written by the victim about the incident, who called the police.

Fairclough, of Phoenix Brow, St Helens, was charged with attempted robbery and pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

READ > Family's emotional tribute after Knowsley Council worker shot dead in 'senseless crime'

Mr Conway said the case involved “high culpability” and that Fairclough had 15 previous convictions for 35 offences, including for battery, assault of a PC and public order offences.

Jailing Fairclough for 40 months, judge Neil Flewitt QC said the victim’s ordeal “must have been absolutely terrifying.”

He said: “She says that she feared that you may have wanted something other than money but this has been charged as attempted robbery.

“What you did to her must have been an absolutely terrifying experience for her. This had a significant psychological effect upon her.”

The judge said that it was noted in a report Fairclough had “features of ADHD and unstable personality disorder but no formal diagnosis”.

He added to Fairclough that “substance abuse, in this case ketamine had a harmful effect on you, and through your actions on others” adding “there isn’t a suggestion that this reduces your culpability.”

The judge said a pre-sentence report “regards you as having a high risk of reoffending” and a “high risk of causing serious harm.

“I have no doubt that, for a combination of reasons set out in these various reports and evidenced by your previous convictions, you are quite a dangerous young man”.

He said Fairclough must serve half of his sentence in custody, minus time already spent in custody, before being released on licence.

He imposed a seven-year restraining order on Fairclough not to contact his victim or from entering Sherdley Park.

Defending, Charles Lander, said Fairclough was “very keen to apologise to the complainant” and that his client has a “troubled background” and is a father of one with a child in care.

He said he was “determined to be drug-free when he comes out of prison”.