Would-be rapist who was caught attacking Blackpool woman on a car dash cam is jailed

Paul Gibson, 26, of no fixed abode, has been caged for six years by Judge Philip Parry, who also ordered him to serve a five year extended licence period on his release from jail.

Gibson had pulled a terrified woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, onto the car park of National Tyres and Autocare on Dickson Road in Blackpool.

But as he dragged her to the floor, a woman in a passing car spotted the victim struggling with her attacker and ordered her friends to turn the car around.

The end of the attack was caught on their car dashcam and it was used as vital evidence during his trial at Preston Crown Court.

When they got back to the scene Gibson was trying to rape the woman on the ground in front of a red shutter door, and was seen trying to tug her pants down as he straddled her.

During the trial witness Jane Quinn told the court how her two friends, borthers Aaron and Ryan Pearce, gave chase while she stayed at the scene to comfort the alleged victim, and called police.

She said: " I just started cuddling her, I didn't know what to do.

"She was screaming and crying. She was frightened."

Gibson has to sign the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.