A MAN who committed, “a campaign of rape” against a vulnerable woman, leaving her deeply psychologically scarred, is beginning a prison sentence totalling 28 years and eight months.

Kamran Afshar, who is considered a “dangerous offender”, posing a risk of committing further serious offences, received the extended sentence with an added eight years on licence by a judge at Durham Crown Court, where he was recently convicted of six counts of rape.

It followed a near five-week-long trial at the court at which the 45-year-old former Jobcentre security officer and night spot door man, in Consett, denied the allegations, claiming all the alleged incidents, some of which were specimen counts covering, “a course of conduct”, were consensual, and that all the witnesses in the case were telling lies.

During the trial he told the jury if they did not believe the acts were with consent, then he would have actually been responsible for up to 600 rapes in recent years.

The sentence means Afshar, from Consett, can only be released on licence after he has served at least 18 years and two months behind bars, but only with the agreement of the Parole Board.

He will also be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and subject to a restraining order to keep away from, and not to attempt to contact, the victim, “until further order”.

The court heard the incidents were under investigation and he was on bail, when he also induced a third party to start fires at the homes of his, at that stage, alleged victim and her parents, providing that person with accelerants and pinpointing the properties.

Afshar then went to London to distance himself from any subsequent arson attacks, but the man he tried to persuade to commit the crime got cold feet and reported it to a church pastor, which led to the allegations being brought to police attention.

The defendant was found guilty of two counts of trying to encourage the commission of arson and was given a five-year prison sentence with a five-year licence extension after a Teesside Crown Court trial, in February, last year.

Afshar’s latest sentence takes into account the 44-months still un-served from that sentence.

Judge Christopher Prince told Afshar the rape offences display, “an utterly cruel and selfish personality whose own desires will be placed above any concern for any other person.”, adding that he has left the victim, literally, “a wreck”

Following the hearing Judge Prince commended the “thoroughness” of the work of the lead investigating officer in the case, Detective Constable Chris Long.