Dragged his victim from a city centre street so he could sexually assault her.

A dangerous man who dragged his victim from a city center street towards a secluded alley to sexually assault her has been jailed.

Dhanji Punja, 42, claimed he only wanted to kiss his victim, but a judge did not believe him and ruled he had intended to sexually assault her.

Punja preyed on the lone woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as she walked on Lord Street on July 12 last year. He grabbed her and forced her towards Dorans Lane, calling her a "f****** b****", and only let go when confronted by three security guards.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Punja has a history of sexual offenses, including a previous assault on a woman on a train and an incident where he lay on a shop floor to look up a woman's skirt.

Recorder Tom Gilbart, the presiding judge, stated: "She was out in Liverpool city center and was with several others in a bar drinking. She left to make her way home. As she made her way alone through the city center, she was looking at her mobile phone. You appeared and took hold of her with both of your hands. You moved the victim against her will across the street. You moved in the direction of a smaller darker street of passageway which was away from the main thoroughfare. As you did so, you called the victim b**** or a f****** b****. Your intention was to commit a sexual assault on her once you had her in a more secluded place."

Recorder Gilbart continued: "In her statement, she described trying to fight to get away but being unable to do so. She was shocked and frightened and feared for her safety."

Fortunately, three security guards nearby witnessed the incident and intervened, causing Punja to release his victim. When police arrived, he was arrested.

Recorder Gilbart said: "Police officers who arrived at the scene described her as looking very distressed and shocked. It's no wonder."

Gerald Baxter, prosecuting, detailed how in a victim personal statement, the woman said she was now too frightened to go out on her own. Mr. Baxter said: "She can't go into Liverpool on her own because she thinks about 'walking down Lord Street and past the alley where the man tried to pull me towards'." The woman said she "couldn't imagine seeing that street again", adding "I just couldn't go to Liverpool city centre".

The court heard the woman has been unable to sleep and "lies awake thinking about what happened." Mr. Baxter said she is "unable to be independent and go to the shops on her own".

Punja, of Stanley Street, Liverpool city center, has four previous convictions for four offenses. Recorder Gilbart, outlining the offenses, said: "In 2005, you were convicted of outraging public decency when you lay on the floor of a shop in an effort to look up a woman's skirt. In 2012, you were convicted of sexually touching a woman whilst she was traveling on a train. As a result of that conviction, you were made the subject of notification requirements. You breached these requirements and were cautioned for that."

Stuart Nolan, defending, asked the judge to consider the amount of partial credit that should be awarded for Punja's guilty pleas. Mr. Nolan added: "Without alcohol misuse, he appears not to be of significant risk."

Recorder Gilbart noted that following his previous conviction for sexual assault, Punja said he would "reduce his use of alcohol and address it", but he has gone on to commit another sexual offense eight years later.

Mr. Nolan said: "It is also important to state at this point the previous conviction is some distance away - there have been elements of control over alcohol misuse." He asked the judge to consider the time Punja has served in custody during the pandemic and that he "indicates his remorse".

Punja admitted kidnap and kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offense.

Recorder Gilbart, sentencing, said: "This was a frightening and quite an outrageous attack on a woman on a street. You felt entitled to use force to kidnap her and you did so with the intention of committing a sexual offense. Your act was only foiled because of others."

The judge added: "This was a predatory act by you, seizing an opportunity to try and take advantage of this victim. The victim was more vulnerable than she might have been because she was a lone woman at night who had drunk alcohol. This was a disgraceful offense."

Referring to the victim's personal statement, Recorder Gilbart said: "She can't face walking past the place where you did this. She struggles to sleep and spends time at her mother's house because she feels unsafe in her own home. She feels she has lost the feeling of being an independent adult and she suffered from anxiety."

The judge explained there was an issue with Nolan's basis of plea, forcing the victim to relive the events in a Newton hearing - a form of mini trial based on the facts of a case which is also referred to as a 'trial of issue'.

Recorder Gilbart said: "The crown's case was you kidnapped the victim with the intent of raping her, your case was you kidnapped her with the intention of kissing her. The victim was upset in parts of evidence and couldn't bring herself to watch CCTV footage of the incident."

Following the hearing, the judge accepted neither the prosecution case nor Punja's but said there was an intent to commit a sexual offense.

The judge noted that the case is "mitigated by the fact you suffer from an identified mental disorder of alcohol misuse" and "to a small extent by your expressions of regret to the author of the psychiatric report".

Judge Gilbart said Punja was a "dangerous" offender and jailed him for five years, with an extended two years on licence. This type of sentence means he will spend at least two thirds of the custodial term behind bars. Punja will then only be released before the end of his five-year sentence if a parole board considers he is no longer a risk. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.