Antony Roberts jailed for attack on pensioner in Kleve Walk, Worcester

Worcester Crown Court heard knife-wielding Anthony Roberts had been released five months before the attack on the 71-year-old woman, in which she was stabbed 50 times, despite a report having said he posed an imminent risk to women. 

The tearful victim bravely read out her statement to the court saying she would have long-lasting scars from an attack in which she thought she'd die.

Jailed: Anthony Roberts (Image: West Mercia Police)

The court heard Roberts, of Green Hill, was released on licence for another attempted murder before he carried out the shocking attack at 1.30am of Sunday, May 7 in Kleve Walk, Worcester.

Worcester Crown Court heard the victim had been walking home with a friend and the pair separated.

Raj Punia, prosecuting, said what happened to the victim was: "Every woman's worst nightmare".

 "She saw a male, " the prosecutor said. 

"He was topless, he was lurking."

The prosecutor said the victim had tried to walk faster before Roberts came up from behind putting his arms across her throat.

"He said 'I'm going to kill you," the prosecutor said. 

ATTACK: Kleeve Walk, Worcester (Image: Newsquest)

READ MORE: Shock after woman stabbed along banks of River Severn

READ MORE: Anthony Roberts pleads guilty to Kleve Walk attack

She described a ferocious attack which included a sexual assault and slashing her clothes with a knife.

Roberts then delivered multiple stab wounds with a five-inch kitchen knife.

In desperation, at one point the victim tried to call the police on her mobile, but the phone slipped from her bloody hand. 

"He took the phone and threw it in the river," the prosecutor said. 

"He told her you are wasting your breath, no one is coming."

A nearby witness heard "deathly screams" before calling police who arrived within minutes. 

Officers, with tasers, chased Roberts who was carrying the bloody knife before arresting him.

The court heard the victim suffered more than 50 separate stab wounds, many of which were millimetres away from killing her.

After being taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham the victim was operated on for 10 hours to close her wounds.

During a later search of Roberts' property pornography of an extreme nature depicting violence against women was found, as well a near-empty bottle of vodka. 

And in a note found Roberts had written "Women deserve to get what's coming to them".

The victim courageously read out her personal statement from the witness box. 

In it she said if Roberts was ever allowed to wander the streets again she would find it impossible to leave her home. 

"I do not want this man to have a lasting impact on me," she told the court.

"The injuries he inflicted are life-changing but I refuse to let him impact me any more than absolutely necessary."

Roberts had earlier pleaded guilty to attempted murder, sexual assault and possession of a bladed article in a public place at Birmingham Crown Court in May.

The court heard he had six previous convictions for 12 offences. Six of them were of a sexual nature, four were for violence. 

A parole board report, in 2021, found Roberts posed an imminent risk to women. 

But it emerged he had been released five months before the attack from a life sentence for attempting to murder a a 16-year-old girl with a knife, and wounding a 19-year-old woman in an underpass in Rubery in 1990. 

And the court heard among the sexual offences was, in 1984, he had exposed himself to a 15-year-old girl in Hampton. 

Sentencing Roberts, The Honourable Mrs Justice Naomi Ellenbogen said: "As a result of your barbaric attack she is confined to her home. 

"All spontaneity is gone from her life."

She said Roberts, who appeared on videolink, posed a significant risk of serious harm to women.

She jailed Roberts for life, with a minimum term of 19 years and three months. 

"There is no guarantee you will be released after that minimum term or any time afterwards," the judge added.

We previously reported Roberts was jailed for life with a minimum term of 28 years and nine months. 

In light of new information we have amended the sentence to 19 years and three months.