The victim of a hammer-wielding attacker has urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to "rethink" Labour's early release prison policy after being told that her perpetrator has been let out after a matter of months.
Claudia Bryan and her 70-year-old friend were caught up in a case of mistaken address when an Albanian man and his accomplices kicked down the door of their AirBnb in Kent.
Bryan was forced to escape from a two-storey window and call the police as the attacker held a hammer to her friend's head.
However, after serving just six months of his three-year sentence, he was released as part of Labour's plan to free up prison spaces.
Claudia Bryan and her 70-year-old friend were attacked by a hammer-wielding man
GB News / PA
Speaking to GB News, Bryan recalled her horrifying ordeal and revealed she and her 70-year-old friend now suffer from PTSD as a result of the incident.
Bryan also told host Mark Dolan she was "mortified" by the news of his release and that they both "don't want to go out" through fear of being "recognised again".
Detailing what happened, Bryan said: "We were sitting having a cup of tea in the AirBnb we rented, and there was a knock at the door. I went to the door, did not open the door - and this voice said to me that he was looking for an Adrian. I said that I don't know any Adrian, and that it was just myself and my female friend there.
"He proceeded to kick the door in, he came in with two other gentlemen with a dog, and they held a hammer over my 70-year-old friend's head, threatening to kill us."
Over 1,000 prisoners have been released in the latest move by Labour to free up spaces
PAWhen asked by Mark how quickly the police responded to her call, Bryan said they did not arrive for "30 minutes", and it was only thanks to a neighbour who took down the registration plate of the getaway car that the police were able to catch the attacker.
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Opening up to Mark about the terrifying impact the attack has had on them both, Bryan told GB News: "It has been awful, both of us have suffered PTSD - we find ourselves being extremely nervous.
"Particularly my 70-year-old friend, she has nightmares. We've been staying together since and I've been looking after her, and she wakes up screaming - we honestly believed that day they were going to kill us."
Expressing concern for their safety following his release, Bryan said the officer who broke the news informed her that he was released "in the area where we live", but is "on licence and is wearing a tag".
Bryan added: "She called and said she was sorry to inform us that this person had been released, but it's in an area where we live, so he is quite close by. And while we don't know this person, we do know that he would of course recognise us.
Bryan urged the Labour Government to 'rethink' their prison policy after her attacker was released after just six months
GB News
"It's been quite frightening, we haven't wanted to go out, we haven't wanted to go to our local coffee shops because we don't know if this person would recognise us again. I have to say that the police were incredibly proactive, they assured me that this person does not know my name or her name and won't be able to find us, but we do know the area in which he frequents."
In criticism of the early release policy, Bryan urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to "rethink" the plans through fear of the safety of the many victims affected.
Bryan said: "I'm absolutely furious. There are a lot of victims out there that are now concerned for their safety. I think that the Government needs to rethink this policy and address it.
"I feel that the Government doesn't realise women like ourselves and other victims, when you release these sorts of people back onto the streets, I am confident that this person will do it again.
"And I'm also confident that they probably might hurt somebody the next time."
