Eifion Wyn Royle

A sexual predator from Llanrwst has been jailed indefinitely following a terrifying attempted kidnapping of a teenager in Bangor, North Wales. Eifion Wyn Royle, 45, targeted a 19-year-old woman walking alone on Ffriddoedd Road late on September 27, 2012, grabbing her shoulder and dragging her towards his parked car with the clear intention of committing a sexual offence.

The victim, who feared she would be 'tortured, raped and murdered', managed to prise his hand from her mouth and scream for help, alerting nearby residents. Witnesses described her cries as 'bloodcurdling', and Royle fled the scene in his vehicle but was arrested shortly afterwards. At the time, Royle was residing at the Ty Newydd bail hostel.

Appearing at Caernarfon Crown Court on March 26, 2013, Royle admitted attempted kidnapping with intent to commit a sexual offence. Judge Merfyn Hughes QC imposed an indeterminate sentence for public protection, stating: 'It is clear from the facts before the court this was a pre-meditated and predatory attack on a young woman. I am satisfied you pose a significant risk of harm to the public. You must understand your release from prison depends on an assessment of that risk. You must be very much aware if the risk level remains high you may never be released.'

Prosecutor Wyn Lloyd Jones described the incident as 'every woman’s worst nightmare' and highlighted Royle's history as a 'sexual predator and a danger to women'. The attack occurred less than three weeks after Royle's release from a six-year prison sentence for identical offences in 2004, when he abducted a young female cyclist in Snowdonia, forcing her into his car before she escaped. His criminal record dates back further, including an indecent assault on a nine-year-old girl in 1982, an attempted indecent assault on a woman in 1983, and theft of women's underwear in 1985.

Defending barrister Huw Edwards noted that Royle had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, sparing the victim the trauma of testifying, and claimed the incident was not premeditated but stemmed from loneliness and isolation. Despite this, the court deemed Royle a high-risk individual, placing him on the sex offender register for life. The case was reported by WalesOnline on March 27, 2013, underscoring the ongoing danger posed by repeat sexual offenders in the community.