A Newquay man has been sentenced to 10 years for the attempted kidnapping of a woman in Andover earlier this year.

Safiya Anna Haverty, who has legally changed their name from Sean Bevann Haverty, 28, of Vyvyan Drive in Newquay, appeared before Winchester Crown Court today (13 November) for sentencing.

Haverty, who is biologically male but presents as female, was convicted of the following at the same court after a 6-day trial on 25 August:

• Kidnap
• assault occasioning actual bodily harm
• dangerous driving
• committing an act with intent of perverting the course of justice.

The court heard how on 2 March the victim, a woman in her 50s, was walking down Micheldever Road when she was struck by a white van coming from behind her.

The force of the collision threw her to the floor several feet away.

Haverty got out of the van and began dragging the victim toward the back of the vehicle before strangling her.

The victim went limp and waited for Haverty to let go and made her escape as he went to open the rear door of the van.

She ran up a nearby hill and flagged down two cyclists who helped her.

Meanwhile, Haverty got back in the van and chased her down the road before turning around and traveling back the way he came.

Investigating officers were able to identify Haverty using CCTV footage of the van, which had captured the license plate.

Haverty was arrested in Cornwall the following day.

In a Victim Personal Statement the victim said: “In the days following the attack, I found it extremely difficult to go out on my own. I felt constantly on edge and unsafe. Even now, I still wake up with panic attacks, and my sleep is frequently disrupted by flashbacks to what happened.

“I find it difficult to switch off, and the lack of proper sleep leaves me feeling exhausted. What happened doesn’t simply go away when I close my eyes; it is something I continue to relive.

“I still think about how serious the consequences could have been and how easily things could have ended very differently. The fact that someone was prepared to do that to me has left me with a fear that I never had before. It is something I find very difficult to put behind me, even though I managed to escape.”

Appearing before Winchester Crown Court today, Haverty was sentenced to 10 years with a further 4 years on licence.

Detective Constable Holly Hunt-Watts, who investigated the case, said: “This was a truly horrendous incident in which a woman was deliberately struck by a van and subjected to an attempted kidnap.

“Through her courage, outstanding teamwork and a swift investigation, a dangerous offender has been put behind bars.

“This result reflects the professionalism, determination and commitment shown by colleagues across the force, and the valuable support of our colleagues in Devon & Cornwall Police.”