A takeaway worker who attacked a lone woman at the dead of night with intent to rape her has been jailed for four years.

Mohammed Ansar, 33, who came to the UK from Pakistan for an arranged marriage, assaulted his vulnerable victim as she walked home from a night out at 2.30am last August Bank Holiday Monday.

The father-of-one, whose wife was away at the time, tried to force the woman into his car after spotting her sitting on steps in Highfield Lane, Keighley.

Ansar, who lives in nearby Highfield Road, pushed her over a fence, chased her across a park, threw her to the ground and grabbed at her knickers.

The businesswoman, in her 30s, fought him off by hitting him on the head with her high-heeled shoes.

Ansar was convicted by a jury at Bradford Crown Court last month of battery with intent to commit a sexual offence and remanded in custody for sentence. He was cleared of attempted rape.

On Tuesday, Recorder of Bradford Judge Roger Thomas QC praised Ansar’s “robust and resourceful” victim.

He told the defendant: “I am utterly and wholly satisfied that the intent you must have had in your mind was to rape her.”

The court heard the woman had been left traumatised with night-time panic attacks.

She was now very careful and cautious when socialising and did not stay out late. It was the most terrifying moment of her life when Ansar grabbed at her under-clothing, and she felt anger and hatred for him.

Ansar’s barrister, Jayne Beckett, said he and his wife had a young daughter and are expecting another child. His supportive family had been deeply hurt by what he had done.

Judge Thomas told Ansar: “You saw that young woman and you quite obviously decided you would have some sort of sexual way with her. She was alone, she had had a drink and she was vulnerable.”

He continued: “It was a sustained physical assault with premeditation that amounted to a quite terrifying ordeal for her.”

After the case, Detective Consta-ble Stacey Atkinson, of Bradford District Reactive CID, said: “This must have been very traumatic for her and we would like to thank her for the courage she has shown in reporting this to the police.

“We are pleased with the sentence that has been passed down, and hope it will help to give the victim some closure.”