Hero bus passenger foils attempted kidnap as teenager dragged screaming across road by migrant

Footage shows the 17-year-old victim walking alone after finishing a shift at a theatre in Swindon when she was approached by Abdulmawal Ibrahim Adam.

After aggressively trying to engage her in conversation, the teenager desperately tried to flag down passing cars for help.

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The attacker then terrifyingly attempted to grab the "petrified" young woman and drag her across the road.

But her screams for help were heard by a hero bus passenger, who noticed the scuffle and jumped off to come to her rescue.

He chased her would-be kidnapper away in front of members of the public, who have commended him for his bravery.

After being chased off, Adam tried engaging with another woman and attempted to follow her before she also got away from him.

Adam, 28, a Sudanese national living in Swindon, was jailed for four years and one month after admitting to the attempted kidnap.

He will serve an extended licence totalling seven years.

The victim told Swindon Crown Court: "I remember how I was before this happened.

"It was like I wasn't even aware that bad things could happen in the world, and I felt confident in myself to walk out the house every day at any time of day or night.

"I remember not being afraid to be outside or to constantly think about people's intentions around me while in public.

"I never would have believed this had happened to me and I never fully connected myself to when women say they don't feel safe to walk at night, but I understand now."

George Threlfall, prosecuting, told the court that one witness said he saw a young woman standing with a "lad with his arms over her upper body dragging her across the road, looking petrified and screaming continuously and loudly".

Her screams could be heard over the sound of the engine as she was trying to break free, he said.

The witness, along with another man, jumped off the bus to intervene.

Another female member of the public heard the victim shouting 'help, help, someone please help' and followed Adam after he was chased off by the two bus passengers.

Adam was described as "lingering" as she approached him on the pretext of asking for directions to a Chinese takeaway, but she recorded him on her mobile phone.

Police were later able to use that evidence to identify and arrest Adam, helping to convict him.

Before sentencing Adam, Judge Taylor said: "People were sufficiently shocked and alarmed but they intervened, you however were smiling as if you had done nothing wrong.

"In contrast, the look on the victim's face was described as pure fear.

"You subsequently ran off, but you were later identified by mobile phone footage from a passerby who used her initiative to create a pretext to film you. I cannot say what your ultimate intentions were.

"But that unknown is what makes this so sinister and concerning. Her fear and the fear of witnesses range from torture to rape.

"This would have been even more terrifying than it was if it was not for the willingness of strangers to step in and protect. I commend them.

"In my judgment, you would have dragged her further had you not been intercepted."

In a statement, the victim added: "I hope you get locked up because I know if you were out in the world, I wouldn't feel safe and I'd worry you'd do this again to another young girl.

"Worry that if you do this to another girl who isn't able to get away, like I was, then she'd have a worse fate.

"The world has too many people like you. Although you are one of many, the world gets a little safer with every person locked away.

'You'd be doing the world a favour by being locked up from all the good, genuine, innocent people of the world. Young girls, women, sisters, best friends, girlfriends, daughters, will be just that little bit safer with you away."