A man carried an unconscious woman into his flat before raping her after a night out, a court has heard.
Paul Glascott had been at Great Yarmouth's Empire venue before getting into a taxi with the woman.
Norwich Crown Court heard she did not know Glascott and thought she was being taken home, but fell asleep in the cab.
He then carried her sleeping body into his home on Southtown Road where he raped her.
Duncan O'Donnell, prosecuting, said the victim - who cannot be named for legal reasons - woke in his bed to find Glascott, "a stranger to her" had raped her "while she was unconscious".
The court was told she had suffered "severe" physical and psychological harm as a result of the attack, on May 29, 2022.
Glascott, now 42, appeared in court for sentencing on Wednesday after being found guilty of rape following a nine-day trial which finished in February.
Jailing him for 10 years, Judge Andrew Shaw said: "You must have raped her in her sleep.
"This was a shameful, cowardly, callous example of a man taking advantage of an incapably drunk woman."
Before Glascott was sentenced the court heard a statement from the victim who said she feels "ashamed and guilty" about the affect the attack has had on her and her family.
She said it had "affected me in so many ways" and has made her feel "isolated and withdrawn".
"I still think about what happened constantly," she said.
She said her "mental health has suffered" and she has "difficulty sleeping" and that she has "lost part of myself".
Ed Renvoize, for Glascott, said the attack was an "isolated incident" which "appears to be something that evolved in very specific and unusual circumstances".
The barrister said he was "in effect offering her a lift home" and "carried her out of the cab after she became inebriated".
Glascott was made the subject of a restraining order, banning him from contacting the victim directly or indirectly indefinitely and was also put on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.
Speaking after sentencing, Investigating officer Detective Constable Sophie Brown said: “I would like to thank the victim for her immense bravery and patience through both the investigation and legal proceedings.
“Glascott is a dangerous opportunist who preyed on a vulnerable woman who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“Our thoughts remain with her and we hope today’s sentence provides some measure of justice and reassurance.
“We will always stand beside victims to ensure those responsible are held to account.”
