A Dartford man has been jailed after assaulting a woman, trapping her in her home when she tried to flee and raping her.

James Reader, of St Edmund's Road, was sentenced to 12 years in prison at Canterbury Crown Court on Tuesday (February 3) after pleading guilty to three counts of rape as well as assault, false imprisonment, aggravated vehicle taking and threats to kill.

The 24-year-old throttled his victim, threatened her with a screwdriver and beat her before repeatedly raping her at an address in Dartford.

At one point, she managed to run out but Reader, who had drunk a large quantity of cider, followed her and forced her back inside.

A concerned relative phoned her to check she was safe but Reader ordered her to answer it and tell the caller everything was fine. After the phone call, he raped her repeatedly, not stopping even when she began to vomit.

Eventually, she was able to escape and hid in a bush as he stole her car and drove off.

Detective Sergeant Paul Fewtrell, who oversaw the investigation, said: "Reader put his victim through a prolonged and appalling ordeal. He assaulted her physically, threatened to kill her and her loved ones, dragged her back from the brink of safety and then raped her more than once.

"It wasn't until she was able to hide that he eventually drove away, under the influence of alcohol, showing as little regard for public safety as he had for his victim's.

"Reader is a dangerous individual. He belongs behind bars, where women will be safe from him. I would like to pay tribute to the bravery of his victim for supporting this prosecution and I would like to condemn his dreadful actions."