A MAN has been convicted of raping a woman in a toilet at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital.

Jurors at Oxford Crown Court took about an hour to unanimously convict Ian Joseph yesterday afternoon.

The 44-year-old, who has a history of “pestering ladies”, followed a 21-year-old university student into a cubicle and attacked her.

The victim had been waiting to pick up her sister in the foyer of the hospital’s West Wing at about 8.35pm on October 30 last year.

In a video interview played to jurors during the three-day trial, the woman described her ordeal.

She said: “He said, through gritted teeth, I was making him mad and he was going to get really mad in a minute, and that really frightened me because I thought he might have a weapon on him.

“Through sheer fear I did what he said. He told me to turn around and then backed me to the wall.”

She added: “He said if I was quiet he would let go of me and he would only be a minute and he would go.

“His voice was very angry so I was really scared. I found it really hard to be quiet because I was so scared.”

She said the sex act “seemed like forever but I suppose it was only about 30 seconds or so”.

Joseph, of no fixed address, was arrested in Southampton two days later and claimed he had walked in on the woman in the cubicle but apologised and quickly left.

Outlining the defendant’s 23-year criminal record following the jury’s verdict, prosecutor Neil Moore said Joseph “in the main part, has been convicted either of dishonesty or relatively trivial public disorder or violence” but had more serious offences of robbery, dangerous driving, ABH and GBH to his name.

He added: “Since 2004 he has had a number of breaches of an antisocial behaviour order (Asbo) which effectively concern petty sexual matters and harassment, pestering ladies, hanging around inappropriately, that sort of thing.

“There have been five or six of these.”

Joseph became the first man in the county whose photograph appeared on a poster informing residents of an antisocial behaviour order in December 2004.

He was handed another Asbo in June last year, which was due to run until 2015.

Judge Patrick Eccles adjourned sentencing for a probation report assessing whether Joseph presents enough of a danger to the public to warrant indeterminate imprisonment.

He said of the sentence: “It will inevitably be one that involves a substantial period of imprisonment.”

Speaking outside court, Dc Rob Barrett said: “This was the right result and an excellent result for a very brave young lady.

“The speed at which the jury returned its verdict showed her evidence was not in doubt.

“Joseph had absolutely no connection to that hospital apart from trying to find a place to stay. People should not fear going to hospital – it needs to be remembered who he was.”

Joseph was remanded in custody to be sentenced next month.