A CONVICTED murderer has been jailed for life for the horrific attempted rape of a woman - on the day he was released.

Twisted David Greening, 48, dragged the terrified 21-year-old victim down a bank hours after his release from prison having served 16 years for beating his own father to death.

He was on a life sentence for that murder but the parole board deemed him was safe for release in July, a court heard.

Desperate for sex, Greening drank and took drugs before pouncing on the woman in Plymouth, Devon, in the early hours.

Greening's second life sentence for the attack has a minimum term of just four years - but in reality he is unlikely to be set free for many years.

Judge James Townsend described the attempted rape as "horrific".

He said: "Having followed her, you attacked her. You dragged her down a bank and repeatedly tried to rape her.

"In the course of the attack, you covered her mouth, presumably to stop her screaming.

The terror and revulsion she felt are vividly set out in the victim's statement."

Judge James then turned to the 21-year-old, who bravely sat at the back of Plymouth Crown Court as Greening appeared over a videolink, and said: "I hope over time the damage which was done in this case will become less.

"Secondly, on behalf of the whole public, thank you for coming forward. You have saved other people."

The woman, supported by her family and a police officer, left the court in tears.

Greening, of Taunton, Somerset, had denied attempting to rape the woman on July 30, but changed his plea before his trial in January.

Jason Beal, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said Greening was released from HMP Leyhill open prison in Gloucestershire earlier that day.

Greening, who had been given a place at a bail hostel in Plymouth, took a bus into Bristol and then a train on to Devon.

Mr Beal revealed that Greening made "sexually inappropriate" comments to a 16-year-old girl he met on the train.

He said British Transport Police investigated but no prosecution followed.

Mr Beal said the victim was walking home after a night out in Plymouth when she met an innocent man and they chatted and exchanged numbers - before Greening approached them.

He said the defendant tried to join the conversation before both men walked away, leaving the woman to walk home alone at about 12.30am.

But Greening then followed the woman. The other man was so worried he sent her a text asking her to message him when she got home. He never got a reply.

The woman suddenly noticed Greening was behind her at the corner of Savage Road and Poole Park Road. It was cold and had started to rain.

Mr Beal said: "He suggested that they go somewhere to make out. He grabbed her by the arm and took her down a grass bank.

"She pleaded with him to stop, but the more she struggled, the harder he pulled."

Mr Beal said she tried to break free and climb to the top of the bank but he repeatedly dragged her back.

He added: "She was screaming and he put his mouth over her mouth, not so much for a kiss, but she believes to stop her screaming."

Mr Beal said Greening pulled her trousers and underwear down - and the 21-year-old knew she was going to be raped.

He added: "She said: 'I was done for'."

The court heard she bit Greening's lip, drawing blood.

Mr Beal said she eventually managed to break free, climb to the top of the slope and run away.

The court heard that her screams were heard by a man up late playing computer games at about 1am. He took her in and called the police.

Officers soon identified Greening and released a picture of him at Plymouth railway station.

He was spotted by police walking alongside the A38 near Castle Motors at Horningtops near Liskeard on August 3.

Mr Beal said the defendant immediately confessed he was a "lifer".

He added: "He said to the police that he would never get out again."

The barrister said that he admitted drinking alcohol and taking the medication pregabilin on the train before the attack.

Mr Beal read a statement from the victim as she listened from the public gallery.

She said that she found it hard to leave the house unless she drank alcohol.

The woman said: "At times I have not been able to leave the house, once I did not go out for two weeks.

"I have had problems sleeping. The simple things have become so hard, like picking an outfit to wear. I just feel that I look horrible.

"I hate to say that I thought I was stronger than this."

Mr Beal said Greening was jailed for life at Exeter Crown Court in 2003 for murdering his father at their home in Taunton.

Drunken Greening kicked his 59-year-old former Coldstream Guards sergeant Thomas Greening to death at their shared bedsit.

He went to bed after inflicting multiple injuries - and then called police to admit killing his father.

Alcoholic Greening, who was drinking about 19 pints a day, admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility but was convicted by a jury.

The dead man suffered injuries to his head and body, including ten rib fractures and brain damage.

Greening has offences dating back to 1985 and was jailed for three years in 2000 for robbery.

Nick Walsh, for Greening, said he had suffered a "breakdown in his mental health". He added that he was also diagnosed with anxiety and depression.