A refugee endangered hundreds of passengers on three aircraft by running across four taxiways and the main runway at Gatwick.

Amanda Mapfungautsi was fleeing a flight back to her native Zimbabwe where she had been subjected to rape and beatings, Lewes Crown Court heard.

An Iberian Airlines pilot about to take off saw her through the darkness on the runway and aborted the manoeuvre the court was told.

The incident on January 18 caused chaos as two other planes on their final descent were forced to pull out. The tarmac was then searched to check she had left nothing which could risk flights.

The court heard Mapfungautsi was ordered to the departure gate by a group of Nigerian men but had no idea she was being sent back to her homeland until the last minute.

She panicked, opened a door, went down some stairs and ran across three live taxiways and on to the main runway without being spotted by security.

The pilot of flight IBE 4147 called ground staff and she was picked up on the fourth taxiway, said John Marsden-Lynch, prosecuting.

He said: "She not only put her own life in danger but that of every passenger on every aircraft using the runway at that time.

"She was arrested and taken to Crawley police station. She admitted entering the restricted zone, knew it was an offence but was confused."

Mapfungautsi pleaded guilty to acting in a manner likely to endanger aircraft and entering a restricted airport zone.

Judge Charles Kemp said she was "immensely stupid and irresponsible" but sentenced her to a one-year conditional discharge after saying he was satisfied it was a one-off incident.

Defence counsel Michael Hillman said Mapfungautsi came to the UK after spending three months in a horrific camp set up by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

He told the court: "She said she was subjected to some awful human rights violations, which included rape."

Mr Hillman said she arrived in Britain last August to work for a Nigerian family, whom she believed would claim political asylum for her.

However, the court heard she was forced to become the family's servant and then, after a few unhappy months, told to pack her belongings.

Mr Hillman said: "She was driven to the airport accompanied by a Nigerian man and some other Nigerian males.

"She had no idea she was going to the airport, she had no idea what was going on."

After passing the disembarkation doors, she realised she was being sent back to her homeland and panicked, the court heard.

He said: "She simply opened a door and walked out on to the apron where planes sit."

Mapfungautsi is currently living in Leicester where she is waiting for her asylum application to be processed.