A MAN who raped a disabled woman in her home has been given a jail sentence of at least four years.

Sadique Rafique, 26, of Dundee Drive, Blackburn, was told by a judge that he had acted with contempt towards the woman in committing the offence.

He had intended to demean and degrade her, said Judge Christopher Cornwall at Preston Crown Court.

He passed a sentence for public protection and the defendant must serve a minimum of four years prison before he can be considered for parole.

The time he has spent on remand, around 244 days, will be taken off the four years.

Rafique had denied a charge of rape, but a jury convicted him following a trial in November. The offence occurred in May last year.

Rafique had been a guest at the woman's home the previous night, but declined to leave immediately when asked to do so.

He then turned up at the Blackburn address on the afternoon of the following day and almost immediately upon his arrival there, started to insult the woman, calling her names.

The defendant forced her into the bedroom where he raped her.

The victim has since died, but the court was told her death was totally unconnected with the case.

Rafique had a criminal record which included 39 previous offences in the last nine years. However, none was for a sexual offence.

In passing sentence, Judge Cornwall said that rape was always a serious offence, but in his judgment, the case was a particularly grave example of its kind.

The defendant will be on the sex offenders register for life.