Luke Myers – Bramford, Ipswich/Haughley, Stowmarket

Luke Myers, 35, Bramford, Ipswich/Haughley, Stowmarket

Anyone considering becoming involved with this individual should seek a Clare’s Law application as he was convicted in 2011 of attacking a woman whilst she walked through a cemetery in Stowmarket, strangling her until she lost consciousness after threatening to rape her.

The vicious attack was only stopped by chance when a passerby managed to chase and detain Myers until police arrived.

Myers was sentenced to 5 years in a young offenders institution for the offence of False Imprisonment. Offences of assault and assault with intent to commit a sexual offence were left to lay on file.

We understand Myers, originally from Haughley near Stowmarket, has recently moved to the Bramford area of Ipswich.

ATTACKER LOCKED UP

A BRAVE Suffolk woman who was dragged into bushes in a cemetery and strangled until she lost consciousness has spoken of her contempt for her attacker after seeing him locked up for five years.

The 23-year-old shopworker came face to face with Luke Myers, 20, for the first time since the attack when she sat across the court from him at his sentencing hearing at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday.

Afterwards she described Myers as a “pathetic little weed” and said it was important for her to see him in court to get “some kind of closure”.

Myers, of Windgap Lane, Haughley, admitted false imprisonment on April 30 and was sentenced to five years detention in a young offenders’ institution, less 179 days he has spent in custody.

He denied offences of assault and assault with intent to commit a sexual offence and these were left on the court file.

Sentencing him, Judge Martin Binning described the attack as a “terrifying and prolonged ordeal” and said the victim now had an “eroded sense of safety” and found it difficult to leave home unaccompanied.

The court heard Myers was arrested after Justin Sheriff, who had been out for an early-morning jog, chased after him and pinned him to the ground until police arrived. Judge Binning commended Mr Sheriff for his “public spirited behaviour” in helping bring Myers to justice. The court heard the victim of the attack had been taking a short cut through a cemetery in Bury Road, Stowmarket, at about 5.30am when Myers had asked her for the time.

He then grabbed her from behind and told her he would rape her if she screamed before pushing her to the ground, said Michael Crimp, prosecuting.

He then said he was going to kill and rape her and asked if she had got any condoms before dragging her into some bushes.

“She was petrified,” Mr Crimp said. He said throughout the attack the woman was struggling and at one stage bit Myers on the finger.

Myers told her he needed sex and pushed her on to her back and climbed on top of her before squeezing her throat so tightly that she passed out.

The alarm was raised by a passer-by who had seen Myers attacking the woman, and two of her workmates had gone to her aid while Mr Sheriff chased Myers.

Joanne Eley, for Myers, said he wished to apologise. “He is horrified by his own behaviour and shocked at what he did.”

Miss Eley said Myers had been drinking and taking drugs prior to the attack and could not remember anything.

 

Article from 04/11/11:

VICTIM OF BRUTAL ATTACK SPEAKS OUT

THE victim of a ferocious attack has publicly shown she will not be silenced.

Samantha Hall took the unusual step of waiving her right to anonymity to speak frankly about the terrifying ordeal in an attempt to raise awareness among other women.

The 23-year-old displayed admirable courage in recalling the morning of April 30, when she was attacked by Luke Myers having taken a short cut to work through a cemetery in Bury Road, Stowmarket.

A week after seeing 20-year-old Myers sent to a young offenders’ institution for five years for false imprisonment,

Mrs Hall said: “I wanted to hear the verdict and see how he reacted. I don’t think it will rehabilitate him.

“I want people to know that he did this to a person.

“I hope to make other people think about preventing this from happening to them – about getting themselves a panic alarm. I never thought it could happen to me so I didn’t carry one, but it did happen.

“I didn’t want people to pussyfoot around and not dare to ask me. I wanted to be able to talk about it. Why should I have to hide? I shouldn’t have to allow it to affect my life. I’m not the one in the wrong.”

She was speaking after Ipswich Crown Court last week heard how Myers had pushed her to the ground and squeezed her throat so tightly that she passed out. Myers, of Windgap Lane, Haughley, admitted false imprisonment. He denied offences of assault and assault with intent to commit a sexual offence and these were left on the court file.

He was arrested after jogger Justin Sheriff chased after him and pinned him to the ground until police arrived.

Mrs Hall said: “What he did was brilliant and I would like to personally thank him. It’s a contrast to find someone so great who would jump to my aid.’’

The court heard how Mrs Hall had been taking a short cut through the cemetery when Myers asked her for the time and then grabbed her from behind.

The court was told how Myers had threatened to kill her and, after pushing her to the ground, squeezed her throat so tightly that she had passed out.

“I thought I was a goner,’’ Mrs Hall said yesterday.

Since the attack, Mrs Hall has received help and advice from the police and from The Ferns, a sexual assault referral centre (SARC) based in Ipswich. Despite bravely facing up to her attacker and speaking so openly, the experience has not left her unscathed.

She said: “My life has changed a hell of a lot. I think twice about leaving the house and I rarely go out alone. I carry a panic alarm and I won’t go anywhere near the cemetery. Just driving past makes me feel physically sick.

“In time, it will get easier – but it’s something that will stick with me for the rest of my life. Talking about it has helped.

“For the first couple of days I thought I was fine, but then it hit me and I began to blame myself.”

Mrs Hall’s husband Andrew, who declared his pride at her decision to speak out and convince other women to stay safe by taking simple preventative measures, also said of Myers: “I hope, in time, he sees what he has done.

“Alcohol and drugs relaxed his inhibitions enough to remove any moral boundaries he may have had – but you have to suspect there was some kind of pre-existing intention.

“The police, and everyone who has helped, have been brilliant. It’s only when something like this happens that you realise what a fantastic job they do.”