AN intruder who sneaked into a woman’s home and raped her, was today (Friday May 1) jailed for six years.

Michael John Musgrove crept upstairs and entered the woman’s bedroom as she slept, in the early hours of Saturday, February 7.

Durham Crown Court heard that as he got onto the bed, the woman awoke, initially believing it was her boyfriend, with whom she had been drinking the previous evening.

Ian Mullarkey, prosecuting, said on realising it was not him, she shouted: “What are you doing?”

Her attacker responded by saying: “Just this once, just this once.”

She made it clear she was not interested and tried to push him off, but Musgrove began punching her, striking the side of her face.

She tried to force him off, unsuccessfully, so she tried to reason with him.

Mr Mullarkey said he “seemed to desist”, leaving the bedroom and beginning to walk downstairs, which made the woman believe he was going to leave the house.

She tried to contact her boyfriend to tell him what had happened, but Musgrove changed his mind and returned to the room, to resume the attack, despite her cries of: “Please, no!”

The rape itself lasted only a matter of seconds, before Musgrove stopped and left the room.

By the time he left the house he was confronted by the victim’s father, who lived nearby and had been alerted as to what had taken place.

Musgrave punched him, but the victim’s father responded with blows to the attacker’s face in self defence.

The father then went into the house to find his bruised daughter hysterical, as she revealed what had taken place.

Mr Mullarkey said police were alerted and attended the scene, while a little later that morning Musgrove was found walking in a street with blood streaming from his nose where he was struck by the woman’s father.

He told police he had been in a fight and then said: “My life is over. I was going to kill myself, anyway.”

Musgrove was arrested and made admissions, claiming he had been battling a strong sexual interest since his teens and needed “professional help”.

The 25-year-old defendant, of Woodside Gardens, Stanley, County Durham, admitted charges of rape and two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm.

Cathy McCulloch, mitigating, said the defendant was “shocked” and “extremely remorseful” over his actions, which had left him “distressed”.

She said he bitterly regretted what took place and added that he was not a threat to other women, but accepted he needed help, which he is willing to participate in.

Jailing him, Judge Christopher Prince spoke of the “profoundly disturbing effect” Musgrove’s attack has had on his victim.

He made him subject to a sexual risk order and restraining order forbidding him contacting or approaching the victim and her father, “until further notice.”

Musgrove must also sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.