A FATHER-OF-TWO who attempted to rape a 21-year-old girl in Melksham has been jailed for five years.

Martin Palmer, 28, of Foresters Park Road crouched in a dark driveway after spotting the young woman walking home from town alone.

Jailing him at Swindon Crown Court Judge Keith Cutler labelled family man Palmer as the reason why women are petrified to walk home alone.

He said: "Your actions are those which terrify women and girls making them feel vulnerable and unprotected. This was a very serious and frightening offence."

Admitting attempted rape and theft of the victim's handbag, Palmer's crime was only discovered after a 16-year-old boy saw him as he drove away.

Noting his red Vauxhall Cavalier, the teenager helped police trace 400 Cavalier owners in the area. DNA evidence from a strand of hair was used to close the net on Palmer.

Palmer's wife, who vowed to stand by her husband, was in court along with his 21-year-old victim and her parents.

Prosecutor Rosaleen Collins said Palmer pounced from a driveway in the early hours of December 30.

Grabbing his terrified victim backwards into a dimly-lit driveway he partially ripped off her clothes before sexually assaulting her.

But the victim struck back and Mrs Collins said it was probably her brave determination that stopped the rape attempt.

A strand of hair pulled out by the victim was found on her fleece, which provided damning evidence of Palmer's involvement.