A RAPIST who terrorised a woman and threatened to kill her has been jailed for more than 12 years.

Mohammed Yaqoob, 59, from Newport was found guilty after a trial with a judge condemning him for having “enjoyed” watching his victim being cross-examined.

In a powerful impact statement read at Cardiff Crown Court by prosecutor Lowri Wynn Morgan, the woman revealed the devastating emotional impact of her ordeal.

“I have been through immense pain and suffering,” she said. “He told me he was going to kill me.

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“He has left me with internal scars that will never be repaired.

“I have post-traumatic stress order and I'm in a constant state of panic and fear.

“I have daily nightmares about him raping me and beating me up.

“I wake up covered in sweat and I am gasping for air to breathe as I can still feel him choking me with both his hands.”

She added: “I struggle with anxiety and depression and I doubt if I will ever feel peace.

“When he was found guilty, I broke down.”

Miss Wynn Morgan said that Yaqoob had “humiliated and degraded” the woman.

The defendant was convicted of rape and threats to kill by a jury.

He had denied the offences.

Gwent Police were contacted for a mugshot of the defendant but they declined to release one.

Yaqoob, who was represented by Julia Cox, has one previous conviction but it was for an unrelated offence.

His barrister said her client, who followed proceedings with the aid of a Punjabi interpreter, would find custody even harder because of the language barrier.

She also added that he was not in the best of health.

Judge Lucy Crowther told Yaqoob: “I don't know if I've ever said this before in a sentence hearing, but it was perfectly obvious that you enjoyed seeing your victim being going cross-examined in front of the jury.

“Giving evidence for her was plainly traumatic. She has suffered immensely at your hands.

“She has been resilient and courageous.”

The defendant was jailed for 12 years and six months and told he would serve two-thirds of that sentence in prison before being released on licence.