Sex attacker targeted two women minutes apart in "nightmare" assaults after music festival

Both victims had become separated from their groups at the Come Together event, featuring the Kings of Leon, at Newcastle's Town Moor last August.

Newcastle Crown Court heard as the lone women made their way home through the darkness in the early hours of the morning they were both separately attacked by former labourer David Robson.

Judge Gavin Doig today jailed Robson, who has previous convictions for sex offences, for 12-and-a-half years, with a four year extended licence period and said: "These are offences of the upmost seriousness, it is the stuff of nightmares for any woman to be violently sexually attacked by at night by a stranger.

"That is what the defendant did to the victims here.

"Fortunately, such attacks are rare however when they do occur any perpetrator must expect to be severely punished."

Judge Doig praised the women for both reporting the attacks and co-operating with the police to obtain DNA evidence, which officers swiftly linked to Robson and said: "Had they not acted with such bravery in coming forward the defendant would still be out there in the community, a real danger to other women, rather than in prison where he belongs."

Robson, 31, of Rosehill Way, Newcastle, admitted two charges of sexual assault and one of intentional strangulation.

He has previous convictions for sexual assaults in 2016 and 2018 as well as exposure offences, all of which involve targeting strangers on the streets.

Prosecutor Jane Waugh told the court the victims of the offences after the festival in August last year did not know each other and did not know Robson.

The court heard the first victim was walking through the darkness with a low percentage of battery on her phone and decided to look for a garage to charge her mobile after she was not allowed entry to the BBC Newcastle building.

Miss Waugh said: "She felt alone and vulnerable and began to cry. She began to cross the road at traffic lights and remembered a man approaching her, staring at her.

"That man was the defendant David Robson.

"The defendant, within seconds, caught up with her and grabbed her."

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The court heard the victim was subjected to a violent sexual assault by Robson before she managed to break free.

Miss Waugh said: "She went back to the BBC and began banging on the door for someone to help her.

"A security guard came and described her hammering on the glass and saw the defendant coming towards her from behind, despite her banging on the door for help.

"They saw the defendant bend down in order to pick her up, in what the security guards described as a fireman's lift type manner."

The court heard when Robson realised the security guards were there he ran off.

The police were called at 1.49am and by 2.01am another 999 call was made after Robson attacked the second stranger, who was also walking from the festival alone.

Miss Waugh said the second woman was also aware she was vulnerable walking alone in the dark, near the same BBC building.

The court heard when she heard someone running behind her she initially assumed it was a jogger but Miss Waugh said: "Suddenly there was an arm come around her neck and she was pulled to the ground."

Miss Waugh said the woman was also violently sexually assaulted and Robson also squeezed her throat and punched her while trying to drag her further into undergrowth.

The victim, with "superhuman strength" managed to roll onto the road and flag down a passing car, after some refused to stop.

In impact statements, one woman told the court: "What that stranger did to me has affected me every single day since it happened and I think it will continue to affect me every day for the rest of my life."

The other said her trauma "continues to this day" and has affected many aspects of her life.

The court heard Robson has been clean of drugs since being in custody on remand and has health problems.

Penny Hall, defending, said Robson "cannot remember fully" what he did but has enrolled on rehabilitative courses.