A carer who raped and sexually assaulted a severely disabled woman at a care home in west Suffolk has been jailed for 18 years.

Robert Mason dressed the woman in a wig, dog collar and provocative clothing and took photographs of her and also filmed himself sexually assaulting her, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Sentencing Mason, Judge John Devaux described the offences as “horrifying and sickening”.

He said he had viewed extracts from the recordings Mason had made and it was clear from the victim’s eyes she had been in considerable pain.

Mason, 59, of Leicester, admitted three offences of rape and two offences of sexual assault.

Judge Devaux told Mason he would have to serve at least two-thirds of the 18-year sentence before he could be considered for release by the parole board, and he would then only be released if the parole board considered it was safe to do so.

Judge Devaux attached an extended licence period of eight years to Mason’s sentence and ordered him to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

In a statement read to the court the victim’s mother said no sentence would ever be enough for what Mason had done to her daughter.

Charles Myatt, prosecuting, said the severely disabled victim of the offences required round-the-clock care and was unable to communicate.

The offences came to light after Mason’s marriage came to an end in 2015 and his wife found a bag containing a wig and provocative clothing under a bed in a spare bedroom.

Pictures of a woman dressed in stockings and suspenders, a dog collar and wearing the wig were found by Mason’s wife in a shed used by Mason and the police were contacted.

The woman in the photographs was recognised as a resident of a care home where Mason had worked in west Suffolk and Mason was arrested at a caravan where he was living.

A laptop computer, a Kindle and three memory sticks were seized by police and when they were examined a number of still and moving images of Mason raping and sexually assaulting the woman were discovered.

Stephen Bailey for Mason said his client was shocked and disgusted by his behaviour.