A NEWPORT teenager was yesterday found guilty of raping a woman in a schoolyard following a night out in the city.

A jury at Cardiff Crown Court found Khaliq Hussain, 17, guilty of two counts of rape, but were unable to come to a decision on a third count, with Judge Mr Recorder Patrick Harrington stating there will be no re-trial on this matter.

The rapes took place in the early hours of Saturday January 30 this year, after the complainant left the Fire and Ice nightclub on Bridge Street, Newport.

The woman, in her 20s, told the jury how the defendant, whom she did not know, began talking to her in the street.

She said he offered to help her find a taxi home, but instead led her to the school yard, where he began grabbing at her and shouting "shut up or I'll kill you".

He began chasing her around the yard, telling her he had to rape her because she was beautiful, as she cried her eyes out.

The woman said she repeatedly pleaded with him to stop, but he placed his hand over her mouth to stop her shouting.

He then pushed her to the floor before trying to rip her clothes off.

The woman described how the ordeal was so horrific it seemed to go on "forever" and in the end she submitted to him as not to prolong it.

After Hussain finished raping her, she said he offered to pay for her taxi home if she kept quiet about it.

The defendant told the court he had drunk half a bottle of whisky at home on the night of the incident.

He then said he paid £10 for an all-you-can drink promotion at Fire and Ice, where he consumed 15 drinks, that included Malibu and Coke, shots of Southern Comfort and bottles of the alcopop WKD.

In summing up, the judge said: “He (Hussain) may think he’s grown up, drinking half a bottle of whisky and 15 drinks at Fire and Ice, but he’s only 17. He must have a tremendous constitution for a 17-year-old to even be standing at the end of that.”

Before discharging the jury, Mr Recorder Harrington said: “You were probably as disturbed as I was to hear of the licensing arrangements at Fire and Ice. It’s closed.”

Pre-sentence reports will be compiled on Hussain and will be sentenced for two counts of rape within five weeks.

Case highlights need for 'sensible drinking' - Police

Gwent Police Detective Chief Inspector Ian Roberts said after the trial that the case highlights the need for people, especially women, to drink sensibly, stay with friends and always arrange a lift home after a night out.

He described the victim as “extremely brave” in reporting the incident and said because of the work of Gwent Police, licensees and partner agencies, “thankfully, incidents like this are rare”.

DCI Roberts added: “My hope is that today's verdict will bring some closure to the victim and she can move on with her life.”

Newport club now closed

FIRE and Ice closed soon after the incident, with the former management blaming adverse publicity caused by the rape.

A spokesman for the club said following the incident, it suffered a 70 per cent drop in trade, with the licensee taking the decision to close it, and there are no plans to re-open the venue.

He said: “I feel very sorry for the victim, no-one wants to see that sort of thing happen. But, the rape didn’t happen anywhere near the club and the man who did it could have been drinking anywhere.”

He disputed Hussain’s claim that he drank 15 alcoholic beverages at the club, stating that people, on average, had five drinks.

He also said door staff had carried out rigorous checks on everyone entering the club in a bid to bar those under age.