A rapist who carried out a vicious sex attack on a woman in Norwich was yesterday jailed for eight and half years. Francis Tagoe, 27, was also placed on the sex offenders register for life and banned from ever working with children.

A rapist who carried out a vicious sex attack on a woman in Norwich was yesterday jailed for eight and half years.

Francis Tagoe, 27, was also placed on the sex offenders register for life and banned from ever working with children.

Tagoe, of Leytonstone, London, had denied two charges of raping the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and causing her actual bodily harm, but was convicted by a Norwich Crown Court jury following a trial.

Tagoe had tried to claim the sex was consensual but the jury heard how, in December 2006, he violently assaulted and raped her over a period of several hours. This left the victim with facial and body injuries that required immediate hospital treatment.

The court heard that Tagoe also had a previous conviction in 1998 for having sex with a girl under 16.

Jailing him, Judge Paul Downes told Tagoe that he could give him no credit for plea as he had made his victim relive the events in court.

Michael Clare, mitigating, said that Tagoe's partner was pregnant with their child.

Speaking after the case, Det Con Dave Aldridge, from the central area domestic violence unit, said: "Norfolk constabulary is committed to dealing with reports of domestic violence and serious sexual assault in a victim-orientated and proactive manner.

"We hope this sentence handed out to Tagoe demonstrates what can be achieved through a positive multi- agency approach which supports the victim throughout the court process. The sentence reflects the seriousness of these offences."