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A brave woman left a sex attacker with a bruised and battered face after he pounced as she walked home from work dragging her into bushes.

Johnathon Holmes, 35, had followed the young female victim for over a mile before launching his horrendous assault, a court heard.

As he climbed on top of her and pushed his tongue into the woman's mouth he said: "You're going to enjoy this"

But the young woman had realised she was being followed in Sheffield city centre and courageously fought off Holmes.

Read more: Chilling CCTV of Holmes following lone women in Sheffield hours before he was battered by victim

She punched him several times in the stomach, bit his tongue and used her keys as a weapon to stab him in the neck.

Holmes fled the scene near Nuffield Gym on Cemetery Road in the early hours of November 1, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

He was further injured jumping over railings.

Police were able to track him down in just a few hours, the court heard.

But when Holmes was arrested he claimed he had no recollection of the evening because he was drunk.

But as his mugshot revealed, he had been battered by his victim so fiercely he was left looking like Frankenstein's monster.

And detectives later traced him on CCTV, hiding behind walls and watching lone women during the afternoon.

Holmes admitted a charge of sexual assault and was jailed for four and a half years.

The young woman once again braved him in court, reading out a victim impact statement.

She told a judge: "I believed without a doubt he was going to rape me.

"My life would have been over, he might as well have killed me right there.

"I was so terrified but so angry."

Amy Earnshaw, defending Holmes, said the attack was "completely out of character" and added "he can't say why he acted as he did."

Sentencing him Judge Sarah Wright said she had "no doubt whatsoever" he had deliberately targeted the young woman and added his victim had "fought back with considerable bravery and courage".

She told Holmes: "No one listening could fail to have been moved by her words.

"It is clear to me that what you did had a devastating effect on her life.

"She is not able to continue her life as before."

Holmes' victim said afterwards: "What happened to me was my worst nightmare. The whole thing replayed in my head for days.

"Now going anywhere after dark is really stressful for me.

"I often think how much worse it could gave been. Even though I know he is locked up, sometimes I'm scared he will come after me again."