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A charity worker has been jailed for four years after raping a drunken woman who had been unaware of the attack.

Nottingham Crown Court was told a woman in the Nottingham house had overheard the incident last year.

And she told the victim, who was "extremely distressed", said Judge John Burgess.

He sent the culprit, Salah Kamal, to prison on Friday, March 23.

A jury convicted him of rape unanimously after a trial.

Judge Burgess sentenced the 21-year-old, of Sneinton Boulevard, after the lunchtime adjournment.

He ordered Kamal - who had no previous convictions - sign the sex offenders' register for life.

And he told him in the dock: "Anybody who commits an offence of rape has to go to prison. It is a very serious matter."

Kamal's barrister, Adrian Reynolds, said: "Obviously he doesn't accept he was guilty of this offence."

He also told the judge Kamal was uncomfortable about how drunk he had been.

"He has told me he has hardly drunk any alcohol at all since this incident," said Mr Reynolds.

He had asked the judge to have particular regard to the fact there was "no evidence whatsoever" his client sought to influence how much the woman had to drink.

He also said that clearly the jury must have been satisfied the woman was not capable of consenting.

Judge Burgess said there was "some force" in Mr Reynolds' submission the jury may have reached the verdict on the basis she was not capable of consent and Kamal may have believed she was.

"But such a belief was unreasonable," said the judge.

Kamal has "found it difficult to come to terms with the jury's verdict", said Mr Reynolds, and "nothing like this is likely to happen again".

During Kamal's evidence to the court the jury had heard more about his background. He left his family in Italy to find work against a background of economic hardship.

"He left his mum, father and younger sister who is 12," said Mr Reynolds.

After finding work last summer, Mr Reynolds said it was "not very glamorous work; washing vegetables in a food factory".

"He only earns the minimum wage," he added. "He has been sending money back to his family in Italy.

"In addition to doing that job he has been helping a charity in Hyson Green which seeks to raise money for Palestinian refugees."