A VIOLENT sex predator from Alexandria who was caught by his victim's boyfriend has been jailed for six years.

Steven Shillan pounced on the 34-year-old stranger as she walked in the town's Argyll Estate in May this year.

As he punched and kicked the terrified woman and stamped on her face, the 21 year-old told her: “I am going to rape you.”

The victim's partner happened to be nearby and spotted what was happening.

He yelled: “Get off her. What the f*** are you doing?”

The man dragged Shillan off, but he escaped. However, he was later charged after the woman's blood was found on his denims and trainers.

Shillan returned to the High Court in Glasgow for sentencing on Thursday, having pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to sexually assaulting the victim with intent to rape.

The court was told the groundskeeper appeared to have a “deviant interest” in “forced sex”.

Click here for all the news from Dumbarton and the Vale 

Sentencing, Lord Boyd said: “I am in no doubt that had the woman's partner not arrived and forced you off her, you would have persevered in your bid to rape her.”

Shillan will be supervised for a further two years on his release.

The victim was in court to see her attacker jailed. She was consoled by family after Shillan was taken to the cells.

The court heard how the predator grabbed the woman and put his arm around her neck, before punching and kicking her as well as stamping on her face.

Prosecutor Mark McGuire said the force was such his footprint was “clearly visible”.

The hearing was told the victim was left in “no doubt” what Shillan planned.

The bleeding woman yelled and tried to stop Shillan from sexually assaulting her.

The terrifying attack only ended when her partner luckily arrived.

The woman was described as “hysterical” with her face covered in blood.

She was later treated for bruising and swelling, but fortunately suffered no fractures.

Mr McGuire: “The attack has had a profound and continuing effect on her.”

Shillan was recognised from CCTV footage taken in the area at the time.

He made no comment when he was held by police – but forensic evidence later pinned him to the attack.

The court was told Shillan partly blamed what he had done on a falling-out with his sister.

Kevin McCallum, defending, said Shillan now accepted what happened was “reprehensible”.