A PONTYPOOL rapist covered his victim’s head with a blanket to prevent her identifying him and was later arrested when he went back to the scene, a court was told.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how the victim of Luke Lewis, 27, of Woodfield Road, New Inn, was now scared to be alone following the incident and it was likely she would have to move away.

Lewis, who had previously pleaded guilty to one count of rape, appeared at court on Tuesday where he also pleaded guilty to a further count of attempting to pervert the course of justice after the court heard he had asked someone to try and convince his victim to withdraw her complaint, saying he would give the victim £1,000 if she did.

The court heard on the night of the incident, Lewis had been on a night out in Newport where he drank alcohol and consumed drugs. The victim, who had also been on a night out, had returned to her home at around 6am and fallen asleep on her sofa. But she then woke up to find someone having sex with her, pinning her down with their body and covering her head with a blanket so she could not see.

Clare Wilks, prosecuting, told the court: “The perpetrator was being aggressive and forceful. She was crying and telling him to get off her. She tried to push him off but couldn’t.”

The attack lasted about five minutes and the victim only managed to remove the blanket from her head as her attacker left, enabling her to glimpse his green t-shirt.

The court heard Lewis changed out of his clothing and returned to the scene, and was standing outside the woman’s home wearing a tracksuit when police arrived.

One officer asked Lewis why he was there, and he replied he could not sleep and thought his friend may be in the area. The officer became suspicious and asked Lewis to unzip his hooded top which he did, revealing he was wearing a green t-shirt.

He was arrested and interviewed by police. He maintained he and the victim were having a consensual sexual relationship and said they had arranged to meet at her flat to have sex. But his mobile phone showed there had never been any communication between the pair and they had not arranged to meet.

In a victim impact statement, the victim said she cannot return to her home and is scared to be alone. She has recently started taking anti-depressants. She added: “It has been really hard in the community I live in, where everyone knows each other. I was physically attacked in the street last week and called a liar.”

In mitigation, Lewis’s defence barrister told the court his client deserved credit for pleading guilty early, had no previous convictions for sexual offences and, that the defendant was ‘intoxicated’ during the attack, which he ‘bitterly regrets’.

Judge David Wynn Morgan said Lewis had told police “a series of lies”, and said: “You appear incapable of expressing remorse for your victim though you are clearly very sorry for yourself.”

Lewis was given 10 years in prison. He will also have to sign the sex offender register indefinitely and will remain on it indefinitely.