A SCHOOLBOY who tried to strangle an 18-year-old girl before raping her was found guilty by a jury last night.

The teenager, who cannot be named, lured the terrified girl into a dark wood in Crook, County Durham, where he twice attempted to throttle her before carrying out the sex attack.

His victim, now 19, believed her 16-year-old attacker was going to kill her so she agreed to go along with his sexual demands in order to survive the ordeal, in August last year.

At Teesside Crown Court yesterday, the jury of seven women and five men convicted him on one count of rape after deliberating for just under two hours.

As the guilty verdict was read out, there were shouts of "Yes" from the public gallery in the court.

Judge Guy Whitburn warned the teenager that he faced a lengthy prison term for what he described as a "disgraceful and disgusting" attack.

He said the girl had very sensibly tried to minimise the harm to herself after realising she was going to be raped.

The judge said: "It was a horrific rape. There was never any question that she consented.

"You deliberately lured her to that area and you did with her what you wished in a most disgraceful and disgusting manner.

"This particularly horrific offence will attract a very substantial custodial sentence."

The judge thanked the jury for overseeing such a difficult and disturbing case.

During the three-day trial, the court heard the boy, from Crook, had groped his victim before pressing on her neck until she passed out.

When she came round, she found him on top of her.

Knowing he was capable of strangling her, she submitted and he had sex with her twice before forcing the petrified teenager to commit a sex act. He had denied raping her.

Jamie Hill, defending, applied for a pre-sentence report to be prepared by the youth offending team.

The boy will be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court the week beginning February 22.