A 57-year-old woman feared she could be raped after being attacked in a Moreton supermarket carpark.
David Rose, 24, approached the woman from behind, grabbed her around the neck and covered her mouth with his hand before dragging her to the floor on April 18.
It happened as she returned to her car after shopping at Tesco Express in Hoylake Road at around 9.30pm.
Chris Taylor, prosecuting, said Rose touched her on her breast and bottom as the attack took place and he was originally charged with sexual assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm but the Crown Prosecution Service withdrew the charges after Rose pleaded guilty to attempted robbery.
Rose, of Pasture Avenue, Moreton, sobbed in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court as he was jailed for two-and-a-half years.
Mr Taylor said: “The victim did not know whether this person was after money or was trying to rape her.”
The court heard the attack stopped after the woman kicked out and creamed at Rose.
Mr Taylor said the defendant then made off down Hoylake Road, shouting: “I have just saved your life.”
The victim went back into the store where staff said she was “shaking and visibly distressed.”
The court heard Rose had been released from prison in April 2014 after being jailed for assault occasioning actual bodily harm against a 74 year old man and he also had previous convictions for robbery.
Prior to the latest attack, Rose had been “hanging” round the Tesco Store asking to borrow money which the court heard was to buy alcohol.
A victim impact statement from the woman said she was afraid to go out of the house and had suffered bouts of ill health following the attack.
She has since moved in with her daughter.
David Watson, representing Rose, said his client suffered from ADHD and a mild form of cerebral palsy which a pre-sentence report claimed can cause “inappropriate behaviour.”
He said Rose had a “difficult start in life” and had been adopted.
The defendant broke down in tears as Mr Watson said his adoptive father was present in court.
Deputy Circuit Judge Jonathan Foster, QC, sentencing, said: “The woman did not know what the motive of this attack was. When the shop assistant saw her he described her as looking terrible.”
As Rose was lead to the cells, Judge Foster said: “Some day you will learn, I hope it’s sooner rather than later.”
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/