This is the moment a predator is tasered by police after he dragged a woman off the street and sexually assaulted her.
Michael Gallagher, 33, of Westmoreland Street, Darlington, was caught on CCTV following his victim as she walked home in the early hours of June 30 last year.
Dressed in shorts and a gym top, he followed her down several streets on his bike before he dragged her behind a wall and sexually assaulted her.
She managed to scream loudly, causing Gallagher to flee the scene and she called the police.
Just 15 minutes later, officers had located the suspect, tasered him, arrested him and brought him in for questioning.
Gallagher gave no comment answers when he was questioned about the attack and an offence of trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence.
Michael Gallagher, 33, (pictured) on bodycam footage after he was arrested by police
Gallagher (pictured) admitted both offences when he appeared at Teesside Crown Court in September, where he was jailed for 14 years
Just an hour earlier that night he had broken into a woman’s bedroom and attempted to assault her.
He admitted both offences when he appeared at Teesside Crown Court in September, where he was jailed for 14 years, plus an additional two years on extended licence.
The victim of the street attack, who has not waived her right to anonymity, said: ‘This incident has had a huge effect on me and my family in the short time since it happened.
‘Simple things like walking down the street have become tough for me, I find myself crossing the road when people come towards me or are walking on the same side of the road.
‘I have had trouble sleeping and I think about what has happened all the time; every time I close my eyes, I just see the man’s eyes staring back at me.
‘I have had to seek comfort by sleeping in the same bed as my mum, it was the only way I could feel safe.’
The woman praised Durham Police, who have implemented Operation Soteria, the national programme to improve rape and sexual offence detection, for their efforts in arresting Gallagher and building the case against him.
Moment Gallagher is tasered by police after committing the offences just 15 minutes before
Dressed in shorts and a gym top, Gallagher followed the woman down several streets on his bike before he dragged her behind a wall
PC Colin Dodgson, from Darlington CID, who led the investigation, said: ‘Gallagher is an extremely dangerous individual who poses a significant risk to women.
‘Both the women he attacked have shown incredible levels of bravery in reporting what had happened to them and providing powerful testimonies; they should feel proud that doing so has resulted in a dangerous man being put behind bars.’
The Home Secretary James Cleverly visited Durham Police’s training centre in Meadowfield, Durham, to learn more about Operation Soteria, where he heard the powerful evidence from a woman who was raped 20 years ago.
The woman, who cannot be identified, now trains police in dealing with victims of sexual assault and rape, explained the importance of how investigators speak to people who come forward.
After hearing her story, Mr Cleverly thanked her for sharing her evidence which had taken her years to process.
He said: ‘As a society we need to understand it is not about what fits into neat patterns, and we are not there yet.’