A Weston man acted ‘on his own sexual gratification’ when he raped a woman.

Mitchell Reader, of Moorland Road, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail at Bristol Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty on January 11.

The incident took place in 2016 after Reader sent a text message to the victim and made arrangements to come over to her house on the morning of March 12.

Reader had a shower after working overnight and asked if he could sleep in her bed.

He awoke in the early evening and the victim went to her bedroom to watch television.

Reader, aged 24, asked if he could join her, which she agreed to, and then he asked for a cuddle but the woman ‘did not agree to anything more than that’.

He then proceeded to pull down her pyjama bottoms, despite being told not to. She pulled them back up and said ‘it is not going to happen’.

Julian Kesner, prosecuting, said: “He left it for five to 10 minutes before having another go.

“She looked him in the eyes and said ‘you need to stop this now’ as she had no interest in his advances.

“Reader carried on, he was desperate for it to happen and would not stop no matter what.”

Mr Kesner continued: “She (the victim) said, he removed her pyjamas again and forced his penis inside her, he was persistent.”

The victim started to cry and told Reader he was hurting her.

He then stopped, began crying and called himself a ‘monster’.

Reader was ‘contrite’ after the incident and sent apologetic text messages to the woman.

A victim impact statement, read to the court, said: “I have struggled to come to terms with what happened, it took me one year to report the matter to the police and my trust in people has been completely shattered.”

The woman, as a victim of a sexual offence, cannot be publicly identified.

Judge Jason Taylor, sentencing Reader, said: “You used your greater strength to force her legs open, you took control and your desire in that moment was purely your own sexual gratification.

“You only stopped when she said you were hurting her, the victim has struggled to stop this from defining her as it has had a long lasting effect on her.

“I am going to give you full credit for a guilty plea and for showing genuine remorse.”

Reader has been made subject to a restraining order and has signed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

He must also pay a standard victim surcharge of £120.