Lloyd Gardner - A remarkable young man from Devon

A good Samaritan given a £10,000 reward for helping catch a brutal rapist has handed all the money to the stunned victim.

Big-hearted Lloyd Gardner, 22, said the woman had far more need of the cash as she was left crippled by the savage attack.

The 48-year-old, who can not be named, was left for dead, unconscious and naked, in the centre of Exeter, Devon, and still uses a wheelchair over three years later.

Lloyd, a restaurant manager, gave cops vital information which helped them track down sex beast Jakub Tomczak to Poland.

The 24-year-old fugitive monster was arrested and brought back to the UK and given two life sentences in January 2008.

Lloyd responded to a TV appeal over the attack when he recognised two Polish girls spotted on CCTV with Tomczak.

He had worked with them before they returned to Poland but he told detectives where they came from and they led officers to the rapist in Poznan.

Modest Lloyd told police he wanted the victim to have all the money and said: "I didn't feel like I'd earned it.

"The fact that such a horrific thing happened to that lady, I thought it would benefit her life more than it would mine.

"I just wanted to try and improve her standard of life.

"It's a huge amount of money but I've been lucky throughout my life - she nearly died and was left in a horrendous state after the attack.

"I thought the money would go a lot further to improve her situation. I just wanted to help in any way possible and I hope this has done that."

Lloyd, of Ottery St. Mary, Devon, added: "I thought what I told police was quite minor at the time but they told me it was what they needed and had been a vital part of the case."

Lloyd has now been chosen by police in Ottery St. Mary to officially open their new station next week.

Local Sergeant Nick Harper said: "Lloyd's act of kindness was unbelievable. He is an outstanding member of the community."

Tomczak was working as a hotel night porter when he struck and left his badly injured victim under a van.

He was brought back to the UK under a European arrest warrant and convicted on DNA evidence which matched his semen with samples found at the scene.

He told the court: "I do not know the truth of what happened to her."

He was given two life sentences for rape and grievous bodily harm, to run concurrently, and was sent back to Poland to serve them.

Story courtesy of www.policeoracle.com