A RAPIST who lured a drunk teenager into his car after she was out celebrating her A-Level results has been jailed for seven years.

Abdi Mohammed, 21, picked up the victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, from outside Oceana nightclub, in Leisure World, and took her back to his friend's house in Derby Road.

He then took the then 18-year-old upstairs into his friend's parent's bedroom and raped her as she screamed and shouted for him to stop.

Southampton Crown Court heard the actions of Mohammed, who was found guilty of rape after a trial, had left his victim "significantly effected" and her family "distressed and struggling".

Mitigating, Richard Onslow told the court the former Cantell School pupil "had no one willing to call him their own" after no family came to support him throughout his hearings, trial or sentencing.

Mr Onslow said Mohammed moved to Southampton from Ethiopia when he was 14-years-old.

By pleading not guilty, Mohammed forced his victim to relive the night on August 18, 2016.

Andrew Houston, prosecuting, said the alleged victim, now 19, went into the city centre to celebrate her exam results.

He added: "What should have been a night of celebration turned into a night on which she was raped and ended up wandering the streets of St Mary's looking for help."

During the three-week long trial, Southampton Crown Court heard that Mohammed’s DNA was found on the victim.

After the incident, the victim said she ran barefoot from the house and sought help at the nearby Royal South Hants Hospital – where she told staff she had been raped.

In a poignant message following his conviction, the victim’s mother said: “There are no real winners.

“Love your enemies, forgive those who trespass against you. Pray for their souls. Judge in heaven is greater than on earth.

“There are lessons for everybody involved to learn. The responsibility of the club, of the friends, of bystanders, of the individual, drinking alcohol and security.”

Mohammed, of Tennyson Road, Southampton, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

Detective Inspector Toby Elcock said: "This was a complex and protracted case of the rape of a young woman on a night out in Southampton.

"I firstly want to commend the bravery of the young woman and thank her for the dedication she has given to the case that has allowed us to bring this offender to justice today. We would not have been able to achieve this result without her support.

"Mohammed preyed upon this young woman who found herself outside a nightclub, separated from friends, alone and vulnerable. He coerced her to go with him, convinced her that he had her best interests at heart by helping her get home, but instead took her to an address where he raped her.

“Hampshire Constabulary is dedicated to getting justice for victims and ensuring Southampton is a safe place to enjoy nights out. Remember to look out for each other, avoid walking alone and plan how you are going to get home with friends.

“I hope this sentence today goes someway to giving the woman closure and reassures her, and the communities in Hampshire, that justice has been served."