A convicted sex offender who carried out a terrifying attack on a lone woman in Cambridge has been jailed for 20 months. Cameron McNally, 26, followed the victim through the city before grabbing her from behind and covering her mouth during the assault.
The attack happened at about 8.20pm on 31 January. The woman was walking along Devonshire Road when she became aware of someone following closely behind her.
As she turned onto Mill Road, she still felt uneasy and noticed McNally continuing to trail her. Wearing his hood up, he overtook her and stopped at the Sainsbury’s ATM to withdraw cash.
Moments later, as the victim walked along Emery Street, McNally attacked.
He grabbed her from behind, covered her mouth with his hand and sexually assaulted her before fleeing towards Mill Road as the victim screamed for help.
Police were called immediately and McNally was arrested on 3 February.
Officers already knew McNally following a previous conviction for sexually assaulting a woman on a bus in February 2023. He was convicted of that offence the following month.
At Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday, 7 May, McNally, of Fortescue Road, Cambridge, was jailed for 20 months after pleading guilty to sexual assault.
He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and was handed an indefinite restraining order protecting the victim.
In a victim impact statement, the woman described the “lasting impact” the attack had left on her life.
She said she now felt “paranoid” about walking alone and explained the ordeal had affected her social life, leaving her feeling “restricted” about what she could do in the evenings.
Detective Constable Will Kerslake, who led the investigation, said: “McNally carried out what must have been a terrifying attack for the victim, and he is clearly a danger to women.
“I’d like to praise the victim for her bravery in coming forward and helping us with a prosecution. I hope this sentence gives her some sense of closure to this traumatic period of her life.”
