A Swindon man broke a woman’s nose after repeatedly sexual assaulting her.
30-year-old Scott Townsend, of Beechcroft Road, left his victim – aged in her 20s – traumatised following a violent attack in his home.
The woman and her friend had been drinking in Swindon town centre when she bumped into a former classmate, who was in the company of the defendant.
Townsend suggested they go back to his place for more drinks. The woman and her friend agreed and went to his property – where the had continued to drink.
Less than an hour after arriving, the pair had decided to stop drinking and go home. However, the defendant sexually assaulted the victim as she attempted to leave.
She told Townsend to get off her, and continued to leave. It was then that he sexually assaulted her for a second time and, again, was told to stop.
He went on to put her in a headlock, before repeatedly punching her in the face and upper body – causing her a fractured nose and other injuries.
After Townsend’s friend freed the woman from his clutches, the pair escaped and the police were contacted. He was arrested and charged with four offences.
The victim’s friend – also a woman – also sustained injuries in the incident, which happened in April 2023.
At Swindon Crown Court earlier this year, the defendant pleaded guilty to two sexual assaults and two assaults occasioning actual bodily harm.
On Friday (23 May), he was sentenced to a 21-month prison sentence suspended for 24 months. He was told to complete 175 hours of unpaid work and 26 days of rehabilitation activity within the next 12 months.
Townsend was also ordered to register has a sex offender for ten years.
In a statement, the victim told of how she was “too scared to go out again for a very long time”, adding that “for weeks was at home because I was scared to leave the house.”
She told of how her nose is “crooked and it will never be the same as before”, having to attend many hospital appointments for treatment.
The woman, who is a mother, said that she had to “keep a brave face for my children”.
She continued: “I still think about what happened to me and when the flashbacks occur I feel sick to my stomach.
“Myself and [my friend] have been there for each other to get through this horrible time.
“No one should have to deal with panic attacks and anxiety for months on end because of a man who thought it was okay to beat up a woman.”
