A Norwich man has been jailed after raping and sexually assaulting a woman after she had fallen asleep at his home.

Reece Larkin, 29, of Humbleyard, in the Bowthorpe area, appeared at Norwich Crown Court on Thursday (June 23) to be sentenced having been found guilty of rape and assault by penetration at a trial in April this year.

The trial heard how in the early hours of September 15, 2019 the victim, a woman aged in her late teens who cannot be named for legal reasons, had fallen asleep at Larkin’s property.

She woke to discover Larkin sexually assaulting her and then "froze" before he raped her.

Before he was sentenced, Lori Tucker, prosecuting, referred to a statement made by the victim which described how she had gone on to self-harm as a result of what happened to her.

Although the victim tried to "bottle everything up" eventually "the bottle burst, causing her to cry and be in a mess".

Jailing Larkin for a total of eight years and six months, Judge Andrew Shaw said rape was "one of the most serious offences on the criminal calendar".

He said the "harrowing aftermath" which follows rape includes the risk of sexually transmitted disease, unwanted pregnancy and victims left feeling unsafe.

Matthew McNiff, mitigating, said he was a 29-year-old with limitations who was "not sophisticated" or cunning.

He said the defendant exercised his right to have a trial and put forward his lack of maturity and challenges as some of the only points he could in mitigation.

Larkin was also put on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

Speaking after the case, investigating Officer DC Jordan Bulmer said: “I'm particularly keen to commend the bravery of the victim in coming forward and having the courage to speak to us about something that has been incredibly traumatic.”

He hoped the sentence would "reassure victims of rape and sexual assault, that we will take reports seriously".

If you have been the victim of a sexual offence, you can report it at Norfolk Constabulary on 101 or in an emergency contact 999.