A mum saved her young children after she was brutally attacked by a man wielding a claw hammer.
The woman was pushing her kids in a pram to try and get them to sleep on October 27 last year on Briton Ferry, Port Talbot when David Voyce approached them from behind.
Without warning he hit the woman multiple times with a claw hammer before taking a swing at her toddler daughter, Wales Online reports.
The mum was able to parry the blow before wrestling Voyce to the ground and taking the hammer from him.
During the struggle the pram, containing the three-year-old and her sibling, topped over.
Thankfully neither child was injured.
The 46-year-old fled the scene, leaving a couple to rush out of their home to help the blood-covered mum.
Police launched a manhunt for the attacker, and Voyce was arrested the following week.
When detained he was found to be in possession of a knife and screwdriver.
Swansea Crown Court heard that Voyce has almost 300 previous offences on his record including a string of violent attacks on women.
In a victim impact statement which was read to court, the woman said she had always felt safe walking her children in the evening in the Neath area but no longer did.
As a result she had moved away to live with her sister and now whenever she is out of sight of her children they become upset.
David Anthony Voyce, of Dalton Road, Neath, denied being responsible for the attack, claiming it was a case of mistaken identity.
He was convicted at trial of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, and possession of an offensive weapon.
Voyce has 38 previous convictions for 291 offences including affrays, robbery, unlawful wounding which saw him repeatedly punching a woman and hitting her with a length of wood, grievous bodily harm with intent - when he dragged a woman out of a house and repeatedly punched and kicked her before hitting her with a crow bar - assault occasioning actual bodily harm, threatening probation and prison staff, and possession of an offensive weapon.
Ieuan Rees, for Voyce, said there was little he could say on behalf of his client who did not admit his guilt, showed no remorse, and refused to co-operate with a pre-sentence report.
He said it seemed the defendant had become "almost institutionalised" by the lengthy periods of time he had spent in custody over the years, and all he could invite the court to do was to exercise mercy.
Judge Huw Rees said that "showing the courage only a mother could show" she had protected her children from Voyce, adding that it was fortunate and remarkable that she herself suffered only a superficial injury.
He said that given the facts of the case and Voyce's "appalling" record of offending he had come to the conclusion that a life sentence was appropriate.
Voyce was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum sentence term of nine years and 137 days - that is 10 years minus the time the defendant has spent in prison on remand.
He must complete the minimum term before he can apply for parole, which will only be allowed if the Parole Board decide the defendant is safe to release.
South Wales Police detective constable Kurt Jones said: "This was a frightening attack on a lone female with her young children.
"David Voyce has shown no remorse for his actions, and put the victim through the ordeal of a court trial.
"He has been found guilty and will now, quite rightly, be serving a lengthy custodial sentence."
He added: "I would like to re-assure the local community that these incidents are rare however when they do occur the police, CPS and courts will work together to put these dangerous individuals behind bars."
