The victim of a shocking attack in which she woke to find a stranger strangling her in her bed has told how she thought she was going to die.
Jennifer Rustell, 46, thought she was having a nightmare in which she was suffocating but opened her eyes to find a stranger attacking her.
Devon Live says the harrowing ordeal happened in the early hours of Sunday morning as Jennifer slept next to her partner Francesco Niccoli at their Exmouth home.
Jennifer said: "When I opened my eyes a man was staring at me strangling me. It was horrendous. He said nothing and just stared at me while he squeezed his hands really tight around my neck.
"I was struggling to get him off and was pushing him, which awoke Francesco. He can normally sleep through anything and I remember him looking at me and then the bloke and then me again in disbelief.
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"When he noticed he had his hands around my throat he pushed him off. The man fell against the wall and walked out of our bedroom door. We heard him going down the stairs. He was stumbling.
"Francesco hurriedly put his clothes on and put the light on and by then he had gone."
The victim says she immediately called the police, who have carried out a forensic examination of her home and ensured a police car was outside her address for a few days.
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Jennifer, who is a chef, added: "I’m sure he would have left fingerprints and DNA as he did, as did not use gloves. I saw his face and his eyes were wide open and he looked like he was on something.
"I honestly thought I was going to die. Had Francesco not got him off me I would not be here as I would not have stood a chance because I couldn’t get him off. It’s weird as I’m quite a light sleeper but I didn’t hear a thing.
"At the moment I feel really angry he just came in my house and would do something like that. I’m a bit on edge but I just have to get on with it.
The intruder was also not heard by Jennifer’s flatmate, who was also sleeping at the time of the attack.
Incredibly Jennifer returned to work just five hours after her ordeal.
She said: "I had marks on neck and it’s still a bit puffy and tender now. The first few nights after it happened I could not sleep at all. I kept looking around to see if he was there and thought he would come back
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"Now we have a very good lock on our front door. I slept better last night as it just caught up with me.
"I was so tired and feel totally drained, and I still keep seeing his face in my head."
Devon and Cornwall Police have released an e-fit of a man that they would like to speak to in connection with the assault.
The man is described as between 35 and 45 years old and of slim build. He is described as wearing a puffer jacket, dark red or purple in colour, and blue jeans. He was also wearing glasses.
Investigating officers are keen to hear from anyone who has any information and anyone who saw a man matching the description above.
Anyone who recognises the image, or the description above, is asked to contact police on 101 quoting CR/025901/19.
