A rapist who used “unnecessary violence in achieving his desires” has been jailed for five-and-a-half years by a Bradford Crown Court judge.

Ashley Edward Williams, 39, was sentenced yesterday after he was unanimously found guilty by a jury of seven men and five women of raping a 41-year-old woman in Ilkley last October.

Williams, of Keighley Road, Silsden, had denied the charge throughout the trial.

Jurors had heard that Williams started grabbing the woman at a house in Ilkley and continued to force himself on her despite her protests.

Jailing him, Judge David Hatton QC said: “You used unnecessary violence in achieving your desires. You held your hands around her throat and mouth such that she thought that she was going to die.

“Then she fled in distress into the street.

“I accept that the offence was entirely out of character. The least sentence I can give is five-and-a-half years.”

During the trial, prosecutor Gerald Hendron said Williams had tried to cuddle the woman, who said she wanted to be left alone, before he grabbed her by her throat.

He put his hands over her mouth and nose as he raped her. She was also bitten on the chin.

In a video of a police interview of the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, the jury heard her say: “I thought he was going to kill me... the person that was looking back at me.

“He wasn't going to stop.”

Later she said: “I remember just thinking, ‘I just hope you just get this over and done with’.”

Mr Hendron said Williams had told police the pair had “rough” sex and she had only accused him of rape after he was unable to complete the sexual activity.

After the case, Detective Chief Inspector Gail Lawrie, of the Homicide and Major Enquiries Team at West Yorkshire Police, said: “Williams subjected her to a brutal sexual assault. We hope the sentence passed down will help to provide the victim with some closure.

“West Yorkshire Police is committed to protecting the public from serious harm and we are pleased that the victim had the confidence to report her ordeal and allow us to provide specially trained staff to work with her.”