A man who raped a young woman after meeting her on a night out in Newmarket as she celebrated her birthday has been jailed for nine years.

Before Ipswich Crown Court was Brunno Tajima, 21, of Tentergate Gardens, Knaresborough, who denied four offences of rape and was found guilty of all four charges following a trial in October.

A second defendant, Patrick Thompson, 24, of Collinson Avenue, Middlesbrough, had denied one offence of rape and was found not guilty.

In addition to being jailed Tajima was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for the rest of his life.

Sentencing him Judge Martyn Levett said Tajima had acted "selfishly" for his own sexual gratification.

"She showed no interest in you that evening and there was nothing to suggest she was willing to have sex with you that night."

He said in 2016 Tajima was sentenced to a community order for sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl when he was 17. "There is a strong inference that you target young females," said the judge.

In a statement read to the court the victim said the rape by Tajima had changed her life forever and had affected her relationships with men.

However, she was determined to complete her education and make something of herself.

In a statement the victim's mother said the rape had left her daughter "terrified and broken" and had affected the whole family.

During the five-day trial the court heard the alleged victim was out in Newmarket celebrating her birthday on April 6, 2017 with a group of friends when she met the defendants.

The friends were drinking at the Golden Lion pub when the two men joined the group "from time to time" during the evening.

The celebrations then moved onto the nearby Waggon and Horses pub around midnight before Thompson took the woman to a bed and breakfast in Newmarket where he and Tajima were staying.

As the pair stood outside the B&B after Thompson had sex with her, Tajima then returned to the B&B and asked Thompson "Can I pipe her?", the court heard.

Thompson then left and Tajima had taken the woman back into the B&B where he raped her.

Hugh Vass for Tajima described what happened as "opportunistic".

"He took advantage of a woman who had too much to drink," said Mr Vass.