A rapist who video-taped himself preying on an unconscious woman was only discovered when the woman's partner watched the tape.

Instead of containing footage of the victim singing, as she expected, the cassette showed her being raped as she lay unconscious after a night of heavy drinking, a court heard.

Stephen Jackson, from Worthing, was jailed for 12 years at Chichester Crown Court yesterday for a series of offences which he filmed himself committing.

Grino Connor, prosecuting, told the court Jackson had "treated the woman as he wanted without any resistance from her at all".

Jackson, 46, admitted four charges of rape, one of attempted rape and one of indecent assault between 1996 and 1997.

Mr Connor told the court the victim had informed Jackson she was a lesbian and had no interest in men.

He said her former partner had been looking for a tape which had been made of the victim at a music event.

She played one she found in Jackson's collection.

As she began watching the tape, she at first thought it was a pornographic film. She then realised it was of her partner, who was unconscious, and the defendant, who was performing sexual acts on her.

Mr Connor said: "She was shocked and did not know what to do. But after much soul searching she contacted the police."

Mr Connor said Jackson, of Barrington Road, Worthing, was arrested after police were satisfied it was not a hoax.

He said the victim, who was shown the video by police, was still in a state of "emotional distress."

Paul Dunkels QC, defending, said despite a prosecution suggestion that drugs as well as drink might have been involved there was no evidence of that before the court.

He added: "What he did do was take advantage of the circumstances when she had drunk too much for her own good."

Mr Dunkels said Jackson never expected the tape to be found and wanted to apologise to the victim.

"At no time did he realise that his abuse of her body would ever cause her harm and distress.

"The intention was she should never find out and be affected by the discovery."

Judge Anthony Thorpe told Jackson: "You took advantage of a woman whom you knew was a lesbian and raped and assaulted her when she was clearly unconscious.

"You videoed the sordid acts and she is still shocked by what you did to her."

The judge ordered Jackson to be put on the sex offenders register for life.