A man who knifed a woman through the throat, tried to suffocate her and raped her after she reported him to the police for having 'child porn images' has been put behind bars.
Luke Ward, aged 25, turned up at the victim's house on August 18, 2021, before barging his way in and subjecting her to 35 hours as a prisoner in her own home in a case described by the judge as as "sustained, sadistic and violent".
Sick Ward, from Bilston, Wolverhampton, tried to kill her in various ways, stabbing her through the neck, then suffocating her with a pillow, before throttling her, then giving her the choice of three ways to die, Birmingham Live reports.
He decided that he would drown her so he went off to run a bath which is when she ran for her life and made her way out of the front door to ask a stranger for help.
Wolverhampton Crown Court heard how the victim's horrifying ordeal began on August 18 when Ward turned up at her front door, put his hand over her mouth and said that if she screamed he would kill her.
He took her to the kitchen where he selected a sharp knife then took her to the bedroom and raped her.
Later on, he took the knife and "plunged it into her neck", Judge Michael Chambers told the court, slicing her finger in the process. She sustained life-threatening injuries. The knife went through her voice box.
"You made it clear to her that one way or another she was going to be killed," Judge Chambers added.
Ward allowed his victim to record messages to friends and family to be given to them at birthdays and Christmas.
He then placed a pillow over her face in an attempt to suffocate her, which failed as she was able to get air in through her neck. He then began to "throttle" her but that was also unsuccessful.
The next day he raped her again before tying her up, then giving her the choice of "strangulation, suffocation or drowning".
He picked drowning and went to run the bath so she "miraculously" managed to escape the house and find help.
Mr Phillip Bradley, prosecuting, said: "She pleaded with him to allow her to get medical help. At one stage he appeared to agree telling her 'yep, I'll leave later and you can go'. However his true intention was revealed later.
"He told her she was not going to a hospital and he said to her 'I'm just gonna do it'.
"Now beside herself, the victim begged Ward to allow her to get treatment telling him 'you promised' and that she didn't want to die. He told her he'd changed his mind."
Speaking about the next day, Mr Bradley added: "He then told her he could kill her one of three ways - strangulation, suffocation or drowning. When she failed to select an option he told her he'd chosen to drown her.
"At this point, a number of phone calls came through to this phone. He said 'I've got to go so you've got to go', clearly insinuating she had to die.
"So he went to the bathroom to run the water. At this point [the victim] seized her chance and ran to the front door. The defendant grabbed her dressing gown but she fell to the floor making sure her foot was over the threshold. He said 'don't do this, come back in'.
"The victim stumbled upon a social worker who saw her holding the wound in her neck. The police were called."
Ward fled to London where he was arrested and brought back to the Midlands and answered no comment when questioned.
"He went there with the intent to kill her and subjected her to gratuitous sexual violence," Mr Bradley added. "This was a prolonged attack involving extreme violence and more violence than was necessary."
Mr Jonathan Page, defending, said "it would be unlikely to occur ever again". He added: "It was borne out of unique circumstances.
"He was 24 at the time. He had a very troubled upbringing, he witnessed unpleasant violence as he was growing up that clearly has had an affect on him."
Ward, of Princess Anne Road, Bilston, was handed life in prison with a minimum term of 14 years and 58 days, which had been reduced from an initial 33 years due to guilty pleas and time already served, for attempted murder, four counts of rape and assault by penetration.
He was also handed a restraining order and placed on the sex offenders register by Judge Michael Chambers.
Judge Chambers said: "Over a period of 35 hours in effect you held [the victim] in her own home and had gone there intending to kill and to rape her as a result of her reporting to the police that she had found child pornography downloaded onto your computer.
"You made repeated attempts to kill her. At the time of the offence, you had been released pending investigation."
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