A MAN who raped a much younger woman he met on a night out has been jailed.

Christian Okafor, 48, invited the woman and others back to his Newport city centre flat after they had been in a nightclub.

The victim was handed a drink and briefly blacked out before she woke up to find the defendant on top of her.

Byron Broadstock, prosecuting, read out her impact statement in which she revealed: “I can't stop thinking about it. Every day is a struggle.

“I feel so dirty as a result of what happened to me. I feel like a different person. My life has changed so much.”

She said she feared she might have contracted HIV.

DNA evidence linked Okafor to the woman who was a complete stranger to him.

Okafor denied rape but a jury convicted him of the offence, which occurred during the early hours of Saturday, January 27, following a trial.

Kevin Seal representing the defendant said his client had no previous convictions.

His barrister described him as a “hard-working family man” who supported his children.

“He knows this is going to be a substantial custodial sentence,” Mr Seal added.

Judge Lucy Crowther told Okafor: “It must have been obvious to you that she was under the influence of intoxicants just from the way that she was walking.

“She needed of your assistance. You had to hold of her hand to keep her steady, although she was able to walk with assistance.”

The judge continued: “When she became conscious, you were on top of her, raping her.

“She was in a state of utter shock and immediately reacted by telling you to get off and not to hurt her because she had been hurt. She was in a state of significant distress”

Okafor, of Clytha Square, Newport was locked up for eight years at Cardiff Crown Court.

After sentence, Scott McCrimmon from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Rape is a harrowing crime that has a devastating effect on the victim.

“Okafor exploited someone who was in a vulnerable position to satisfy his own sexual desire.

“His conviction resulted from the strong evidence presented by the CPS to the jury.”

Mr McCrimmon added: “The victim coming forward at an early stage was crucial, allowing the CPS to work with police in following the key lines of enquiry and securing evidence leading to this conviction.

“We thank her for her cooperation and the courage she has shown.”

  • Gwent Police were contacted for a custody picture of the defendant but declined to release it.