A rapist threatened to kill his victim and said that he should have set her on fire in a vile text message.

Cameron Livesey, 24, raped his victim and strangled her so hard that she could not shout for help.

He later bombarded her with thousands of calls and texts, threatening to kill her and sending her images of weapons.

In one message he wrote: "Look at ya, should've absolutely smashed your face on set u on fire."

In another he said: "If police ever get called am coming your house smashing it then getting killed simple."

Cameron LiveseyCameron Livesey (Image: Lancashire Police)

Having also stalked his victim and waited outside her workplace, Livesey wrote in another message: "I'm going to hurt you when you're alone."

Livesey, formerly of Rufus Street, Preston, but now of no fixed abode, was found guilty of rape, sexual assault, and strangulation at a trial earlier this year. He had pleaded guilty to stalking at an earlier hearing.

In an impact statement read out at Preston Crown Court on Friday (October 18), the victim said: "This whole case has caused me to be diagnosed with PTSD, depression and anxiety. I still have nightmares and flashbacks about what happened to me."

Judge Robert Altham sentenced Livesey to 14 years in prison with a further four-year extended licence period.

DC Leanne Newitt, of Chorley CID, said: “Livesey is a dangerous individual who presents a serious risk of harm to women.

"His actions have had a profound and ongoing impact on his victim. I welcome the significant sentence handed down to him, which reflects the seriousness of his appalling offending.

“I want to take this opportunity to praise the victim for the immense bravery she has shown, first of all by telling the police what happened to her and then by giving evidence in court.”