A NEWPORT man who raped a woman after slapping her across the face was jailed for five years.

Leon Hiscox, 26, was convicted by a jury following a trial after denying raping the woman at a flat in the city, saying they had consensual sex.

During his trial earlier this month, the prosecution said Hiscox, formerly of Moorland Park, had "viciously" raped the woman in January 2006.

The woman told the jury: "He looked evil. He was staring at me. I was screaming for help."

She said she sank her nails into him, kicked Hiscox off and called police on her mobile.

Sentencing Hiscox at Newport crown court yesterday, Judge David Morris said it was a "grave" offence.

"You struck her twice across the face to subdue her and then forcibly raped her," he said. "An aggravating feature was the element of violence."

The court heard that in March 2003 Hiscox was convicted of wounding and sentenced to a community punishment order for attacking a deaf and blind man, and stealing £250.

Sharon Bahia, mitigating, said Hiscox had recently suffered "tremendous personal grief" after losing a sibling and his father.

He has problems with alcohol and started drinking aged eight, Miss Bahia said.