A MAN with a history of violence who was asked to leave a house party in Oldham hid upstairs before “brutally” raping a “vulnerable” young woman in her own home.

Adam Howard was invited by some friends to join a party in Oldham earlier this year after lots of alcohol had been drunk, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

A young woman who lived at the home had never met Howard before but had rejected a Facebook friend request and did not want him present so he was asked to leave by her friends.

But Judge John Potter said that instead of leaving he went upstairs “in hiding”.

Addressing Howard, 29, of Shaw Road, Oldham, via a videolink in prison, he said: “Your attack began in the bathroom and a neighbour overheard screaming.

“You attacked her in her mother’s bedroom and brutally raped her.”

Judge Potter said Howard “degraded” her by biting her on her shoulder during the harrowing ordeal.

“At the time you attacked her she was drunk after spending much of the night drinking. She was clearly vulnerable.”

He told Howard, who has a history of attacking women in their homes, although this was the first of a sexual nature, that the “planning” in carrying out the rape was “significant” and that he “exploited” the young victim.

The court heard that the vicious attack left her with injuries across her body including her shoulder, back, arms and legs.

After committing the sexual assault within an hour of arriving Howard left the home and the victim reported the attack to the police.

He was arrested and in a prepared statement he said that he had consensual sex with the woman.

Howard was charged with rape and causing actual bodily harm and was found guilty in a trial in October.

The jury saw through his lies, Judge Potter said.

He added that as well as inflicting physical injuries, the attack will have caused “psychological” harm to the woman.

Prosecuting, Helena Williams, read out a victim impact statement in which the woman said she will “never forgive” Howard for raping her in her own home, a place she should feel safe.

“I think I will never get over this”, she added.

Ms Bennett said that Howard had 16 convictions for 23 offences including violence against women.

In defence, Milena Bennett said he had never committed a sexual offence before and his last previous conviction was more than three years ago in 2017.

READ > Police speak out after rape of woman by Oldham 'predator' who hid upstairs in her home

But after weighing up the nature of the attack and the vulnerability of the young woman at the time of the attack, Judge Potter said there was little mitigation for Howard.

In assessing his dangerousness, he said he was in “no doubt” the defendant was a “significant risk to members of the public”.

Judge Potter jailed Howard to 12 years in prison with a further four years to be served on licence and was given a restraining order and told to pay a victim services surcharge fee.