Van attacker who strangled woman jailed

An attacker who hit a woman with a van before strangling her in an attempted kidnapping has been jailed for 10 years.

Safiya Haverty, previously known as Sean Haverty, was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court on Friday after being convicted of kidnap, assault causing actual bodily harm, dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice.

Police said Haverty, 28, from Newquay, was born a biological male but identifies as a woman.

The court previously heard the victim, a woman in her 50s, was walking along Micheldever Road, in Andover, on 2 March when she was hit from behind by a white van.

Det Con Holly Hunt-Watts, of Hampshire Police, described it as a "truly horrendous" attack and praised the woman's courage.

The force of the crash threw the victim several feet across the road, police said.

Haverty, of Vyvyan Drive, then got out, dragged her towards the back of the van and strangled her.

The woman went limp and waited to be let go, then escaped when Haverty went to open the van's rear door.

She ran up a nearby hill and flagged down two cyclists while Haverty chased her in the van before turning around and driving away.

CCTV caught the van's number plate and Haverty was arrested in Cornwall the next day.

In a victim statement, the woman said she still woke up with panic attacks and had flashbacks to the attack.

"The fact that someone was prepared to do that to me has left me with a fear that I never had before," she said.

Haverty was jailed for 10 years, with a further four years on licence.

Det Con Hunt-Watts said: "Through her courage, outstanding teamwork and a swift investigation, a dangerous offender has been put behind bars."