A judge has praised a pensioner for fighting off an attacker who tried to rape her in her home.
Judge Simon Hammond spoke of the victim's "courage, tenacity and presence of mind" as he yesterday jailed Abraham Nhliziyo for 10 years over the attempted rape.
Judge Hammond said: "He didn't desist because he wanted to – but only because she fought like a tigress for her honour."
The woman, who is in her 70s, had gone to investigate a noise outside her Thurnby Lodge home in the early hours of September 15 last year.
Prosecutor Philip Gibbs told Leicester Crown Court: "The complainant heard a noise and thought it was a cat. She went to the kitchen and heard a noise at the back door.
"She saw a figure and thought it was a neighbour who had just come out of hospital. It was the defendant.
"She opened the door and the defendant didn't say anything, he simply shoved her back into her home."
Nhliziyo (21), who was drunk, then attacked her in the kitchen.
He grabbed her around the neck and touched her inappropriately.
Mr Gibbs said: "She tried to push him away and she tried every excuse she could think of, including that her husband was coming."
After the assault had been going on for five minutes, the woman managed to push Nhliziyo away.
Describing how the woman fought back, Mr Gibbs said: "When the defendant's arms raised towards the ceiling, she pushed him out of the open back door into the garden, where he fell into a bush.
"Remarkably, and for good measure, the complainant kicked him twice to the bottom, pulled the door to and swiftly locked it."
Nhliziyo tried to open the door but could not and shouted abuse at the terrified woman.
The victim called the police and Nhliziyo, of Carpe Road, Northfields, Leicester, was arrested.
She told police she had never felt so degraded in her life and her sleep had been affected. She is still scared to go in her kitchen at night.
Mr Gibbs said: "She can still see this man's face when she shuts her eyes and lives in dread of the dark."
Nhliziyo pleaded guilty to sexual assault and attempted rape at an earlier hearing.
Helen Johnson, mitigating for Nhliziyo, a student, said her client had been drinking vodka and had no recollection of the incident.
She said: "The defendant is a young man and prior to this was entirely of good character."
