A 'DANGEROUS' Carlisle offender who attacked and then held prisoner a vulnerable young woman because he wanted to rape her has been jailed for seven years.

Dean Haughan, 31, who stormed out of his prison video booth as he was being sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court, had denied falsely imprisoning the woman and wanting to rape her but a jury declared him guilty of those offences after a trial.

The court heard that Haughan's victim was left traumatised and covered in bruises after her ordeal.

The defendant, of Stonegarth, Morton, earlier admitted threatening to kill the woman, and assaulting her and causing actual bodily harm after he kicked and punched her at his Hartington Place bedsit on the night of May 12 last year.

He also admitted a common assault on her friend. The court heard how the woman and her friend had gone to the defendant's flat so socialise.

They all drank, consuming two bottles of vodka.

They also took cocaine. As a result, the court heard, one of the women became "incapacitated."

At this point, her friend said it would be a good idea if they left but Haughan became aggressive, swearing at her, grabbing her by the hair, and forcing her out of the property.

Judge Nicholas Barker said he was satisfied Haughan did this because he had a sexual interest in the woman he was left alone with.

Later in the early hours, CCTV images showed the same woman - partially clothed - attempting to leave the flat.

When she fell, Haughan stood over her, holding a knife to her throat. "She was clearly terrified," said the judge. Haughan tried to pull her back into his bedsit by her legs. 

She suffered a facial injury, a dislocated knee and bruises across her body. In some video clips from that night, Haughan appeared completely naked in some video clips.

Judith McCullough, for Haughan, said his offences were undoubtedly committed when he was drunk and after everybody had voluntarily consumed drink and drugs.

"He's genuinely sorry for this offence," said the barrister, describing Haughan's life as troubled and saying he suffered mental health issues.

He had used drugs and alcohol to self-medicate.

The barrister added: "It is his express wish to change his life."

In a letter from prison, the defendant had pleaded with the woman to drop the prosecution. He claimed there had been consensual sexual contact - a claim rejected the jury.

The judge told Haughan: "I am satisfied you wanted to have sexual intercourse with [the victim] and that sexual intercourse would not have been with consent. I am satisfied you would have committed the offence of rape."

The woman - covered in bruises - had woken that morning to the "horrific realisation that she was the victim of significant attack, the judge.

He said: "This was a sustained, violent and sexually motivated attack, involving threats with a knife and false imprisonment."

The woman's confidence and independence had been shattered.

Imposing the seven year jail term, with a two year extension on his licence period, Judge Barker said comments made by Haughan demonstrated his "derogatory attitude towards females."

Judge Barker added: "I am satisfied that you do pose a significant risk of harm to members of the public."

Haughan, whose record contains 126 offences, including several violent assaults, must serve two thirds of his seven year jail term before he is eligible for release on parole. This will only happen if he can satisfy the authorities that he is safe to be released.

It was as the judge told the defendant that he would be on the Sex Offender Register for life that he left his video booth seat and walked out of the room, simply saying "Bye."

The judge also imposed an indefinite restraining order banning any contact with the victim.