A hairdresser who raped a student and sent a boastful text message to one of her friends during the attack, was jailed for more than eight years this week.

Aaron Pescud, 20, was invited back to the 18 year old's bedsit after they met at The Works nightclub in St James's Road, Kingston.

When a friend texted the woman to see if she had got home safely, Pescud replied with a message that read "f*** off, I'm having sex".

Last month a jury convicted Pescud, of Old Farm Road, Hampton, of two counts of rape and one of theft. He denied the charges and claimed the woman consented to sex.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had told the court she believed she was drugged prior to her two-hour ordeal. She later discovered Pescud had stolen her wallet and mobile phone, which he used to call in sick at work the next day.

Pescud was jailed for eight years for the rapes and a further three months for theft when he appeared at the Old Bailey yesterday. Passing sentence, Judge Gregory Stone QC said Pescud had failed to show any remorse for his actions.

He said: "You exposed her to an experience of degradation, humiliation and pain. You used her phone to send a message of a boasting and gloating nature which I find to be a worrying feature.

"She has suffered a very severe psychological impact from these events. She has suffered very badly and will continue to suffer from this very appalling attack."

The woman, now 20, said she went to The Works with a friend on October 1, 2001.

Pescud introduced himself as a hairdresser and debt collector and bought her drinks including wine, shots of Aftershock and sambuca. She said the sambuca "went to her head and gave her a burning sensation".

When she arrived at her bedsit she said "everything was a blur". She changed into her nightwear in the bathroom and when she went back into her room Pescud pinned her to the bed.

"It was not my intention to sleep with him. I think I got in bed as he was leaving," she said.

"He was on top with his hands pressing down on my arms. I felt terrified. I was feeling paralysed."

She thought her ordeal was over when Pescud stopped but she said he had a cigarette and then raped her again. The woman did not recall Pescud leaving but woke at 10am and found her mobile phone and wallet missing.

Telephone records showed Pescud used the phone to call in sick to his debt collecting job in Ham and contact relatives in Australia.

May 30, 2003 11:00