Brunswick man jailed for 29 years after attacking woman and leaving her to die in field

A man who attacked a woman and left her to die in a field has been jailed for 29 years.

Matthew Stevens attacked his victim after meeting her while she was enjoying a night out in a Newcastle city centre bar with a friend on 10 March.

He was found guilty of her attempted murder during proceedings at Newcastle Crown Court on 12 December 2022, where it was heard that Stevens got the woman to share a taxi with him at around 2:30am.

The woman was heard asking to be taken back home to Gateshead multiple times but was instead taken to Darrel Street in Wideopen.

Once they were dropped off around 3am, CCTV would show the pair walking along Drysdale Crescent, towards the nearby fields.

The alarm was raised hours later after the victim was found barely conscious by a dog walker.

The victim had severe swelling to her face and her clothes were strewn across the grass.

When Stevens was arrested at his home address, officers recovered several bracelets the victim had been wearing the previous night, as well as his clothing, which was strained with her blood.

Following a sentencing trial at Newcastle Crown Court on 20 March, Matthew Stevens, 28, of Drysdale Crescent in Brunswick, Newcastle, was jailed for 29 years with an extension period of three years for violent, sexual or terrorism offences.

He was also given an indefinite restraining order banning him from contacting the victim, and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £190.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Inspector Tam Fowler of Northumbria Police’s Major Investigation Team, said: “Stevens is a danger to women and to wider society, and I am pleased with the sentence handed down.

“He ushered a lone woman into a taxi and took her somewhere she clearly didn’t want to go before taking her into a field and beating her within an inch of her life – and then he went home to sleep afterwards like nothing had happened. I am not sure there is ever a place in our communities for someone who thinks this abhorrent behaviour is acceptable.

“I hope this sentence offers some closure to the victim, who continues to recover from this ordeal. She has shown incredible strength during these proceedings, even facing her attacker in court, and I hope she can now begin to move forward knowing justice has been done.

“This type of despicable behaviour can never be excused. Violence of any kind is completely unacceptable and I would like to thank all the officers, staff and witnesses who came forward to help us with this case, and ensure a dangerous, violent man is no longer able to harm anyone else.”

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