A RAPIST caught shortly before he boarded a one-way flight out of the UK has been jailed.
Akshay Kumar will spend five years and two months behind bars after he preyed on a woman at his flat in Irvine amid claims he had earlier spiked her drink.
The married 29-year-old was in the country despite his visa having expired and was described as a "person of interest" for the Home Office as a result.
Kumar previously pleaded guilty to a rape charge and returned to the High Court in Glasgow this week for sentencing.
Judge Lord Scott described the attack as "deliberate and sustained" at the hearing on Wednesday, August 18.
He said: "You chose to use violence to get what you wanted when you were well aware your victim did not consent.
"Your background report says that this was a serious sexual offence involving the use of violence, coercion and physical restraint to overcome your victim's lack of consent.
"You have destroyed all prospects of a medical career which you pursued when you came to the UK.
"It is necessary to punish you and to deter others from behaving in this way and to protect the public.
"This was a deliberate, sustained act of sexual violence against a young woman - culpability and harm are high."
As well as his custodial sentence, Kumar was put on the sex offenders register and given a non-harassment order, which prohibits him from contacting his victim in any way, for an indefinite period.
The court previously heard that the predator was a delivery driver for a local takeaway, understood to be in the Three Towns, at the time of the attack on September 20 last year.
It was through his employment that the 26-year-old victim got to know Kumar.
They went on to exchange Facebook messages and later agreed to go out together for a drink.
But, on the night they were to meet, Kumar cancelled at the last minute. The woman instead visited a relative before going home.
It was when she was back in the early hours that Kumar texted asking if she still wanted to meet up.
The woman agreed - Kumar and his friend then picked her up and she was given alcohol to drink.
It was said the woman was drunk and felt unwell when the group arrived at Kumar's flat.
The offender had faced an allegation that he did "supply her with an unknown substance or substances in a drink" for the purpose of "overpowering" her for sex.
Prosecutors accepted a not guilty plea to that charge.
Kumar soon began making "sexual advances" towards the vulnerable victim.
Prosecutor Lynsey Rodger said: "She repeatedly said 'no' and told him that she wanted to go home.
"He ignored her and told his friend to leave the room."
Kumar went on to pin the victim to a bed, pulled off her clothes as well as his own whilst the woman tried to wriggle away from him.
Miss Rodger said: "She protested and he repeatedly told her to be quiet."
The court was told Kumar violently raped the woman.
The victim eventually managed to get up, but Kumar grabbed her again.
He drove her home after the attack. The woman's relative and a friend were there.
She was described as "extremely distressed and incoherent" due to her ordeal.
The woman had bruises across her face and body as well as bite marks. The sobbing victim stated she felt "disgusting".
She was initially too traumatised to speak to police before bravely identifying Kumar as her attacker.
Kumar could not initially be traced but police stopped him on September 29 at Manchester Airport in possession of a one-way ticket initially stopping in Mumbai in India.
Paul Keenan, defending, told the sentencing: "The offence he pleaded guilty to is a very serious offence and he recognises that.
"It brings immeasurable shame and regret.
"There is nothing I can say which can meaningfully mitigate what transpired at the time."
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