Rapist attacked woman who was being sick

Thomas Dodds had denied rape but was found guilty by jurors

A rapist who "took advantage" of an ill woman by attacking her when she was being sick has been jailed for eight and a half years.

Thomas Dodds, 56, raped the woman while she was unwell and ignored her pleas to stop, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The woman said he had "ruined" her life and she did not think she would ever get over what he had done.

Dodds, of Thames Road in Hebburn, South Tyneside, had denied rape but was found guilty by jurors.

Prosecutor Ellen Wright said police were called almost as soon as the rape was over and the woman repeatedly told officers she had "said no" to Dodds as he attacked her.

'Not the same person'

In a statement read to the court, the woman said: "He took advantage of me when I was in a vulnerable state.

"That is something that will take me years to get over if I ever do.

"I am not the same person because of him."

She said she had repeatedly suffered flashbacks and nightmares, was afraid to leave her home and started harming herself, adding: "My life has been ruined."

Judge Sarah Mallett said Dodds had shown a "very high level of entitlement" and there was a "significant risk" of him committing further offences.

A sexual harm order was also made to last for 12 years.