A 'predatory and manipulative rapist' who targeted 'lone, vulnerable' gay women in the Village before raping them has been jailed for 20 years.

Ashfaq Khan, 60, parked his car in Manchester city centre and went to the popular nightspot to seek out victims.

He pretended to be a taxi driver, or allowed women to think he was one, offering them a lift before attacking them.

Remorseless Khan, from Longsight, still denies the three rapes he was found guilty of committing.

One woman was raped twice - once while she was vomiting.

The other woman was attacked after Khan forced her to drink sambuca at his house, where he took her after she fell asleep in his car.

(Image: Mark Waugh)

Khan was convicted of another sexual offence around a decade ago after he attacked a young woman he picked up on Canal Street.

He has now been labelled a 'dangerous' offender by a judge.

Khan must serve two thirds of his 20-year sentence in prison. He also has an extended five-year licence period.

Manchester Crown Court heard that the offences against the two women happened in summer last year.

The first victim had been out with friends, but later went to the Gay Village on her own, ending up at the New York New York club.

Prosecutor Guy Mathieson said that at the end of the night, the woman went to get a bus home.

Khan had parked his car nearby and approached the woman, before talking to her.

"It appears he was pretending to her that he had a taxi [driver], or at least was willing to give her a lift home," Mr Mathieson said.

Initially, the woman refused, but Khan was 'persistent', the court heard.

She got in the car as Khan drove towards Didsbury. The woman later noticed the doors had been locked.

Khan complimented the woman and put his hand on her leg. She told him she was gay, but Khan then parked in a secluded area, pretending he had a flat tyre.

He then throttled the woman and raped her.

The court heard Khan and the woman then got back in the car, before she got out to be sick.

He stopped the vehicle, but raped the woman again while she was vomiting.

The court heard Khan then took the woman home. She was heard screaming crying following the horrific ordeal.

Weeks later, Khan was back in the Gay Village.

His next victim, also a gay woman out on her own, befriended a couple, again in the New York New York club.

Khan later appeared and started talking to them.

(Image: Google Maps)

After the bar closed, the woman left on her own. Khan got in his car and started to drive slowly, following the woman.

He offered her a lift, which she accepted.

The woman fell asleep in the car and woke up at Khan's house.

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She had no idea where she was, and sent a text message to her partner saying 'I don't know where I am, baby'.

Another read: "Help me, please."

The court heard the woman took a picture of Khan with the caption 'help' to her sister.

That picture later helped to convict him, but the texts were not seen until the next morning.

The woman said Khan forced shots of sambuca down her throat before raping her.

(Image: Google)

She was in his home for about two-and-a-half hours, the court heard.

The woman was later taken to the hotel she was staying at. She then raised the alarm.

In victim statements read out in court, both women said they now suffer from nightmares, panic attacks and flashbacks.

Khan's previous conviction, around 10 years ago, was for assault by penetration. He attacked a drunk young woman who had been out in the Gay Village.

She was later found lying at a bus stop.

During the investigation, bottles of wine and spirits and drugs including Viagra were found in the boot of Khan's car.

He was given a community order for that offence.

The court heard Khan still maintains his innocence over his latest crimes.

His barrister David Birrell said: "He continues to deny these offences. My submissions can only go to the length of the sentence, and to the nature of the sentence."

Sentencing, Judge Timothy Smith said Khan was a 'predatory and manipulative rapist' who targeted 'lone, vulnerable' women.

Addressing Khan, who sat emotionless as sentence was passed, the judge said: "You set out with a single-minded determination, to find lone drunk vulnerable women with one purpose on your mind, to rape.

"You centred on the Gay Village area of Manchester as you particular place of interest, where you felt you were able to pick up and rape women with impunity."

Khan, of Calbourne Crescent, Longsight, was found guilty of three counts of rape following a trial.