Wideopen: Matthew Stevens jailed for 29 years for attempted murder

Matthew Stevens had denied attempted murder but was found guilty by a jury

A man who left a woman half-naked in a field after savagely beating her has been jailed.

The 27-year-old victim had met Matthew Stevens in a Newcastle bar before being taken to fields in Wideopen on 10 March 2022 and attacked.

Stevens, 28, of Drysdale Crescent in Brunswick, had denied attempted murder but was found guilty at Newcastle Crown Court after a six-day trial.

He was jailed for 29 years with an extended licence period of three years.

Northumbria Police said Stevens was a "despicable thug" who was a danger to women.

The hearing heard that the victim, who was attacked in the early hours, was found by a dog walker almost naked, barely conscious and with her clothes strewn on grass nearby.

She had suffered swelling to her face and was so traumatised that she had no memory of her attack, the court heard.

CCTV footage later showed the pair walking along Drysdale Crescent, towards the nearby fields at 00:03 GMT moments before the attack.

The victim's bracelets and blood-stained clothing were later recovered from Stevens' home.

Det Insp Tam Fowler of the Northumbria force, said: "Stevens is a danger to women and to wider society, and I am pleased with the sentence handed down.

"He ushered a lone woman into a taxi and took her somewhere she clearly didn't want to go before taking her into a field and beating her within an inch of her life.

"He then went home to sleep afterwards like nothing had happened.

"I am not sure there is ever a place in our communities for someone who thinks this abhorrent behaviour is acceptable."

He added that the victim was still trying to recover from her ordeal and had shown "incredible strength."

The jury had heard that police were able to piece together the timeline of events using phone data, CCTV footage and witness statements.