Man raped woman while she slept next to her child

A woman asleep in bed with her child woke to find herself being raped by a man she had been to a club with earlier that night.

The victim was attacked by Marcus Patel just hours after the pair had been drinking and taking drugs together.

Patel, 33, of Craddock Road, Canterbury, denied the rape but later pleaded guilty, despite claiming to have no recollection of the attack last year.

Judge Rupert Lowe told him that his clothes had been found next to the victim in her bedroom and his DNA was also on an intimate item of her clothing.

He said the victim had been made to feel she was to blame for the attack, and told Patel, who shook his head: “It was none of her fault. What happened to her was in no way her responsibility. It was entirely your fault.”

Patel’s mother stormed out of court after berating the judge as he was about to pass sentence.

The outburst came as Judge Lowe told Patel why he was being jailed for six-and-a-half years. She was warned by the judge that if there was any more remarks he would clear the courtroom.

She then shouted: “I’ll clear it for you,” before marching out and making other accusations against the victim.

She accused the prosecutor of doing “a terrible job, a terrible job”, adding: “I think you have got the wrong victim,” and turned to her son, saying: “I love you.”

Guy Wyatt, defending, said Patel now wanted to apologise to his victim.