A London mother who used sex chatrooms to try to trick strangers into raping a former work colleague has been jailed for six years.

Joanne Berry, 30, posed as the woman online and invited men to act out violent rape fantasies and role play with her.

A judge said Berry may have held the victim responsible for losing her temporary job after Berry displayed "increasingly erratic behaviour" at work.

After Berry disclosed her ex-colleague's address online, one unwitting man tried to barge his way in to the woman's home to act out the rape.

When the man suddenly realised they had both been set up by someone, he aborted the plan, Maidstone Crown Court in Kent heard.

Judge David Griffith-Jones QC said Berry had developed an "irrational vendetta" against the victim who had only shown kindness towards her.

Berry, of Grove Park, south-east London, was convicted in May of putting a person in fear of violence in 2012.

She was also convicted of committing an assault with the intention of committing a sexual offence, common assault and attempting to cause a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

The court heard that the victim initially bore Berry's "increasingly frenetic and bizarre" behaviour with "a degree of fortitude".

Aggrieved after being "rebuffed" by the victim, Berry resolved to exact some form of "revenge or retribution".

The judge explained: "Thus, it was, you embarked on a bizarre series of events.

"You carried out some internet research and discovered a web-based chatline facility on which you would make contact with individuals with particular sexual and other interests.

"Through that facility, you made contact with a particular individual - 'DH' - who gave evidence during the trial."

Berry contacted him over a period of time and pretended that she enjoyed sex and engaging in role play.

And eventually she persuaded him to come to "her" home, knock on the door and effectively rape her.

The judge said: "During this you didn't reveal your true identity and the address that you provided as your own was in fact (the victim's) home address."

He added: "He burst in intent on putting the plan between you and him into operation. Fortunately, he swiftly realised that something was amiss, so, after his initial aggressive entry, he aborted the plan."

Judge Griffith-Jones said her behaviour was "wicked and calculating".

He went on: "That (the victim) was not in fact raped or seriously sexually assaulted is entirely fortuitous.

"That is plainly what you intended. As it is, however, the trauma inflicted upon her was, as can only be imagined, very substantial indeed."

Berry remained impassive as she was jailed, and told she must sign the sex offenders register indefinitely and may be barred from working with children.