A two-time rapist from Barton has been jailed for six years.

James Hurst was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Monday having earlier admitted two counts of rape and an ABH on the same woman.

Prosecutor Charles Ward-Jackson said the 23-year-old victim, who cannot be identified, was first attacked in west Oxfordshire in October 2010.

He told the court Hurst continued to rape her while “she was crying, she was protesting”.

The offence was not reported at the time and the defendant, of Fettiplace Road, next struck on November 3 last year when he assaulted the woman.

Mr Ward-Jackson said: “He attacked her, hit her in the face.

“She tried to defend herself but he punched her in the face, dragged her to the floor and bit her on the cheek.”

But the victim declined to make a statement to police.

The following month, on December 10, the 22-year-old defendant raped the woman again.

Mr Ward-Jackson said the victim was able to raise the alarm moments later and Hurst was arrested.

In his first police interview he denied the allegations but 10 days later asked to be re-interviewed and confessed to the offences, telling officers he was “very sorry about what he had done”.

However, he initially denied the charges at court before changing his pleas ahead of a scheduled trial.

Peter De Feu, defending, said his client, who has three cautions for theft, harassment and battery, was of very low IQ.

He said: “Nature has not perhaps dealt him a great gift in that sense.

“He’s struggled when it comes to dealing with stressful and difficult (situations) and has acted in a way which is wholly unacceptable.”

Judge Patrick Eccles said Hurst “caused no doubt considerable psychological trauma” to his victim.

He described the ABH as “a seriously unpleasant form of attack by a man upon a woman”.

Hurst will be on the sex offender register for life.