A RAPIST who attacked a woman in her West Somerset home has been jailed for six years and told he has left his victim emotionally scarred.

Nigel Wilson, 33, was found guilty of rape by a jury at Taunton Crown Court last month, and also of a charge of putting a person in fear of violence by harassment.

He had raped the woman on Royal Wedding Day and then sent her abusive and threatening text messages.

Wilson, from Honiton, appeared before the court for sentencing this week and Judge Richard Bromilow jailed him for five years for rape, 12 months to run consecutively for harassment and 18 months to run concurrently for breach of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order imposed in Exeter last year.

Wilsone had met the woman through an internet dating site and they had a consensual relationship, but when she said 'no' he ignored her.

"You abused her terribly in her house, in her bedroom with her young children nearby," said the judge.

"It's left her emotionally scarred and who's to say how long it will take her to begin to come to terms with what happened to her.

"Your attitude towards her was truly appalling and abusive."

The text messages he sent after leaving her house were shameful and awful: "I saw the reaction of the jury to what you said," the judge said.

Patrick Mason, representing Wilson, said his client accepted he needed rehabilitation and felt frustrated at not being given anger management and sexual abuse programmes after being involved in a series of out-of-character and bizarre offences since he was 31.

The judge said Wilson's pre-sentence report contained some very worrying features about his attitude towards women.

As well as imposing the prison sentences, he also made a restraining order prohibiting any contact with the woman, particularly by way of the internet and social networks.

He banned him from working with children until further notice and said the Sexual Offences Prevention Order would continue.