An asylum seeker left his victim "unable to sleep" after he strangled and sexually assaulted her under a bridge, a court has heard.
Fawaz Alsamaou followed the woman out of a nightclub before he tried to strangle her and put his hands under her dress.
The victim was heading home from Pulse nightclub in Cardiff city centre back to the student area at 4am when she noticed she was being followed.
The Syrian refugee waited until the woman was underneath a railway bridge before he grabbed her by the neck, forced his hand under her dress and groped her crotch whilst sexually assaulting her for seven seconds.
Prosecutor Tabitha Walker said the terrified victim managed to push her attacker away before fleeing the scene and alerting police.
Speaking in court, the victim said the assault continued to affect her mental health, adding: "I'm always looking over my shoulder and thinking the worst.
"At the start, I didn't leave my house for six weeks. I feel really uneasy when it's dark outside.
"It has really affected my social life and I don't go out like I used to. I suffer with my mental health generally but this incident really hit that harder."
Fawaz Alsamaou admitted to sexual assault and intentional strangulation
|SOUTH WALES POLICE
The woman continued: "I can barely sleep and I have nightmares relating to it. I'm working to get over it but this isn't something you can just recover from.
"The impact has pulled me back from doing everyday things and stopped me going out with my friends."
The attack also had a lasting effect on her professional life as she was unable to return to her office for around three months due to overwhelming anxiety when in public and surrounded by people.
She said: "The time I had to have off work caused additional stress in my life and additional meetings with HR."
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The Syrian refugee waited until the woman was underneath a railway bridge before he grabbed her by the neck
|Authorities were able to identify Alsamaou, from Lockwood in Huddersfield, after combing through CCTV footage.
He admitted to sexual assault and intentional strangulation.
However, mitigating barrister David Pinnell argued that despite pleading guilty, Alsamaou did not accept that he was in fact guilty of the offences.
Mr Pinnell added that the 33-year-old would be deported after his conviction at Newport Crown Court.
The woman was walking home from Pulse nightclub when the attack happened
|Judge Celia Hughes said: "It was a horrible attack on a woman alone at night in Cardiff. She was entitled to walk home alone at night without being attacked by you, a predatory man.
"You say that you're a practising Muslim but your behaviour that night casts doubt on the practice of your faith.
"It must have been a petrifying incident for her and had lasting impact on her life."
Alsamaou, who had no previous convictions in Britain, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for sexual assault.