6ft 10in man pleads guilty to attempted rape

A 40-year-old man who tried to rape a woman at knifepoint in Northampton has pleaded guilty at court.

Matt Mellor, of Kelmarsh Avenue, Leicester, has today (April 11) admitted to the offences of attempted rape, possession of a bladed article and breaching his sexual harm prevention order, in relation to an incident that happened in the early hours of February 26, 2022.

It was about 1.50am when Mellor began following a woman in her 20s in Wellingborough Road, Northampton.

When she got to Lutterworth Road, he grabbed her from behind and dragged her to the ground where he attempted to rape her at knifepoint.

But the woman managed to attract the attention of local residents, forcing Mellor to leave the scene and escape in his car.

An investigation was launched with police officers using CCTV, house-to-house enquiries and assistance from local business to quickly identify Mellor as the suspect and bring him to justice.

He was arrested in Leicester the same day and subsequently charged.

Today (April 11) at Northampton Crown Court he pleaded guilty to all three offences, was remanded, and will be sentenced at the same court on June 10, 2022.

Lead Investigator, DC Adam Kelly, said “Matt Mellor is a very large man, about 6ft 10in in height, and his actions on that night would have been an absolutely terrifying experience for this woman who should have been able to walk wherever she liked without fear of such an attack.

“She showed tremendous bravery in fighting him off whilst shouting for help and I would like to thank her for her support and courage during our investigation.

“I would also like to thank the local residents who quickly came to her aid that night and also to local businesses in the area who have assisted us with our enquiries and the procurement of CCTV which helped us piece together this crime. 

“To be able to take such a dangerous offender off the streets helps to make Northamptonshire a safer place for people to go about their daily business and I now expect it will be a long time before Mellor is released from prison, which is great news.”