Man found guilty of attacking woman on popular Norwich path

The seven men and five women on the jury took an hour and 20 minutes to find Derry Bates unanimously guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The 44-year-old was also convicted of committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence against the woman - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - on Marriott's Way.

Marriott's Way, Norwich (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) Norwich Crown Court has heard as the woman walked along the path she was approached from behind by Bates and attacked.

Bates repeatedly punched her in the face and dragged her into a wooded area where he went on to pull down her tracksuit bottoms and knickers. 

The woman told the court "I thought I was going to die" following the attack at around 1.30pm on May 24 this year.

Bates was not in court for the verdicts and has not attended throughout the trial.

Derry Bates (Image: Norfolk Constabulary) Bates, of no fixed abode but currently of HMP Norwich, was found not guilty of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and another charge of committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence.

Recorder Michael Turner adjourned sentence until Monday, December 2.

Speaking after verdicts in the case, Detective Constable Martin Bentley paid tribute to "strength and courage" of the victim and thanked the witnesses who "quickly reacted to the situation" and prevented it from becoming "an awful lot worse"

He said: "It's a welcome verdict to help ensure someone who is particularly dangerous in society can remain behind bars at this time".

Marriott's Way, Norwich (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) The trial, which started last week, heard how the woman initially thought she was being robbed after she was hit on the head.

She tried to give the man her handbag and phone saying she "didn't care about these things", but then described how he pulled her "towards the inside of the trees".

The woman thought she was going to be raped and thought she might die but two men, who were working nearby, responded to her screams and Bates ran off.

One of the men, who works on Barker Street, near to where the alleged assault happened, said he had heard noises which he initially thought had been children playing.

But he said the noises were "distressing" and sounded like "screams for help".

Marriott's Way, Norwich (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) He went to investigate what was going on and was joined by another man who asked him "what on Earth is that noise".

He said he found a woman on the floor with a man "crouched over her and his hand on her".

The witness said the woman, who had her trousers and knickers pulled down, was on her back and was "terrified".

He said the man told him she was his girlfriend bit the woman said "I don't know this man, I've not seen this man before".

The trial heard Bates, who was represented by Andrew Oliver, had previously been convicted of three robberies against "lone women" in February 2006.

The victim of a robbery on February 16, 2006, told the trial that Bates had threatened to rape and kill her during the incident.

Giving evidence the woman said Bates "dragged me behind a shed next to the fence" and "demanded I give him the money".

She said he told her if she carried on screaming he would "rape and kill" her.