Paul Woods 55

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A sex predator who raped a young woman after the victim said he molested her in a hot tub was warned on Thursday he faces a lengthy jail sentence.

Paul Woods, 53, followed the 22-year-old into a house and attacked her as she lay on a bed pretending to sleep.

The distraught woman fled after she was subjected to the rape ordeal wearing only a towel, the High Court in Edinburgh heard.

Woods, of Preston Crescent, Prestonpans, East Lothian, had denied assaulting and raping the woman in September 2019, but was found guilty of the crime by a majority verdict of the jury.

During the attack he moved the woman on to her back and tapped her on the face before raping her. Woods later told police that he thought she was asleep.

A judge agreed to continue his bail for the preparation of a background report on the first offender ahead of sentencing.

But Lord Tyre told Woods: "You should be aware it is extremely unlikely that I am going to do anything other than pass a substantial custodial sentence when you come back for sentencing."

The judge placed him on the sex offenders' register and told jurors at his trial that it was a "serious" case.

The court heard that the woman and Woods had been drinking and shared a hot tub with others at a house in an East Lothian town.

But the woman, who was wearing a swimsuit, said that he had touched her in the tub, leaving her shocked. She left and went into the house from the garden, saying she was going to bed.

Woods followed her into the house and she thought that if she pretended she was sleeping he would leave her alone.

After the assault on her the woman grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her and ran out. She was seen shaking and crying. She was still crying and wrapped in the towel when she was later seen by a police officer.

Woods was linked to the attack on the woman by DNA evidence that was recovered after the rape of the woman.

Advocate depute Derick Nelson told jurors that when all the pieces of evidence were put together they were left with "a compelling, overwhelming case against Paul Woods".

During an interview with police Woods had denied any sexual wrongdoing, the court heard.