Brave great-grandmother Lucette Powell not only fought off the man she feared would kill her, but was prepared to stand up in court and tell her horrific story. She should be applauded.

Police are often criticised for their failure to catch the thugs who frighten society but they are often not to blame. All too often their investigations are hampered by witnesses who are too scared to come forward and are not prepared to confront their attacker in the courtroom.

Mrs Powell's ordeal was the copycat of an offence her attacker carried out ten days earlier in Cardiff, where tragically an 87-year-old woman later died. Both women gave statements and justice was done.