A SLOUGH man has been jailed after he tried to kidnap a woman and drag her to a nearby park.

Neeraj Sharma, 34, of Stowe Road, was sentenced to nine years imprisonment at Reading Crown Court on Friday last week, after pleading guilty to one count of kidnap and one count of committing an offence with the intent to commit a sexual offence.

The victim, a 20-year-old woman, was walking in Burnham Lane towards the train station at around 9.30am on Monday, February 29 when she was approached by Sharma.

He tried to engage the woman in conversation, but then grabbed her by the wrist and started to drag her down an alleyway towards Cippenham Park.

The victim managed to grab hold of some railings and called the police.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Stuart Malham of Force CID, said: “This was an extremely distressing incident for the victim. I would like to acknowledge her courage throughout our investigation and subsequent court proceedings. I also praise her for her quick thinking which enabled us to identify and arrest Sharma on the same day as the incident.

“I am pleased that Sharma admitted responsibility for his actions and pleaded guilty to the offences. He will now have a very long time to think about his actions and the impact on the victim.

“Crimes of this nature are fortunately very rare but Sharma’s conviction demonstrates that when they do happen Thames Valley Police will find those responsible and work with the Crown Prosecution Service to bring them to justice.”