Man faces five charges after alleged attack on woman in Stanmore Bay
A 40-year-old man has been charged after an alleged early morning attack on a woman walking in Stanmore Bay.
Police say the woman was walking along D’Oyly Drive at 5.24am on Thursday when a man crossed the road and approached her.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Jimmy Kim said the man allegedly grabbed the woman by the arms and prevented her from moving away.
Police said the woman tried to pull free and create distance between the pair. Kim said the man was yelling during the struggle, but the woman could not hear what he was saying because she was wearing earbuds.
The woman reportedly managed to break free and ran from the scene. Police allege the man pursued her as she tried to escape.
The woman was able to use a parked vehicle as a barrier between herself and the alleged offender, Kim said.
As this was happening, people travelling along D’Oyly Drive came to help the woman, according to police.
As the motorists stopped to help, the alleged offender fled the area.
Later that morning, officers conducting inquiries in the area reportedly saw a man matching the description provided by the woman.
Police said the man tried to avoid officers by entering a nearby driveway.
Officers determined he had no reason to be on the property and arrested him after what police described as a short struggle.
A 40-year-old man is due to appear in the North Shore District Court charged with assault with intent to injure, unlawfully being in an enclosed yard, resisting police, assaulting a first responder and possessing utensils for methamphetamine.
Kim said the officers were in the right place at the right time when the man returned to the scene of his alleged earlier crime.
“This was no doubt a terrifying incident for the victim and I am pleased that we were able to quickly locate and arrest the alleged offender,” he said.