A RAPIST who attacked a university student after trespassing into a block of student halls where she was asleep has been jailed for eight years.

Sultan Mohammed was convicted by a jury of one count of rape after a trial at Ipswich Crown Court last week.

Today Judge David Pugh sentenced him to eight years. He was also handed a restraining order banning him from the university campus and contacting the victim. 

Mohammed, 25, was prowling the University of Essex campus on October 3 when he entered a block of student halls via an unsecure door.

He then entered another security door which had been wedged open before trespassing into the room where the young woman was asleep.

The first the victim knew of him was when she awoke to find him having sex with her.

After leaving the building, Mohammed was spotted on CCTV trying to gain entry to several other buildings across the Colchester campus.

Police eventually searched his home address in Almond Way, Colchester, after discovering a handprint on a window on campus.

He was arrested and charged with rape.

Mohammed denied the offence but was convicted by a jury after less than an hour of deliberations on Friday.

Investigating officer DC Adam Tyhurst said: "This was a predatory attack on a woman whilst she slept in her room and it has understandably had a devastating effect on her life. 

"I'd like to commend her on the strength and courage she has shown throughout the investigation, standing strong to ensure Sultan Mohammed was held accountable for what he did.

"Whilst incidents like this are rare, we understand the impact they have on the local community.

"It was through the support of the victim and working alongside the University and the Crown Prosecution Service, that we were able to quickly find the person responsible for this awful crime and bring him to justice.

"I urge anyone who has been the victim of crime to make a report it to us so that we can investigate the crime.

"We treat all reports with the sensitivity and confidentially they require."