A MOTHER-of-two told of her fear as she was grabbed by the throat in a car park at night.

Jacqueline Aldred, 33, recalled how she fought off her attacker and went to a nearby phone box - all the time hearing footsteps behind her.

Weeks later she was in a pub on New Year's Day, when she spotted the man she believed responsible playing pool. Samson Masih, 33, was later arrested and convicted of common assault, by Pennine magistrates, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Masih, of Pine Street, Nelson, had his good name restored after Judge Raymond Bennett, sitting with two justices, upheld his appeal against conviction and sentence. He had told police he was not responsible for the assault.

The appeal had been told last December 14 that Mrs Aldred had been going to her stepfather's for sleeping tablets, after earlier being told of the death of her best friend.

About 12.45am she was taking a short cut across the car park in Nelson, when she was grabbed from behind, an arm was put round her neck and she was pulled backwards.

She lashed out with her elbow, striking her attacker in the stomach and escaped, running to a phone box to contact the police. While in the kiosk, she could see a man she took to be her attacker staring at her. Mrs Aldred told officers he was wearing a pink-coloured bomber jacket. No arrest was made that night, but on January 1 Mrs Aldred was in the Lord Nelson pub, Nelson, when she saw the man she believed had attacked her playing pool. She alerted police. Masih was arrested, but said he was not the culprit.

Police later recovered a bomber jacket from the appellant's home and he claimed it belonged to his wife, from whom he was now separated.

Mrs Aldred told the court how she had been upset as she made her way to her stepfather's. The man she believed had attacked her stood glaring at her for about 20-30 seconds while she was in the phone box.

She saw her alleged attacker 'directly in front' of her as she put her drink on the table on New Year's Day. Asked by Judge Bennett if she was sure it was the same person, Mrs Aldred said she was sure it was.

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