A rapist who attacked a businesswoman in her hotel room has failed to have his 12-year jail sentence cut.

William Steward, 25, was convicted of four counts of rape after a trial at Lewes Crown Court last June.

London's Criminal Appeal Court yesterday refused to cut his term, rejecting claims it was too long.

Lord Justice Rose, sitting with Mr Justice Hughes and Mrs Justine Cox, said: "There is no doubt that 12 years was a severe sentence. But, as it seems to us, it cannot be said to be manifestly excessive."

The victim, an IT consultant, was staying in a sixth-floor room at the Hilton Metropole Hotel, Brighton, in November 2002 when she was woken at about 4am by a noise from the direction of the door.

She went to the door, opened it a little and saw Stewart lying in the corridor outside.

He put his foot in the door, preventing her from closing it, before jumping up and forcing his way in.

When she screamed he put his hand over her mouth, telling her if she continued he would break her jaw. He also threatened to smash her head against the wall and kill her.

He caught her when she tried to run to the door and pulled out the telephone socket. He told her he thought she was a prostitute and repeatedly raped her.

Lord Justice Rose said Steward then began to talk to her and said he was desperate for a cigarette.

The victim persuaded him to go with her to reception, where she said she would buy some.

He then left the hotel with the cigarettes.

She contacted hotel staff, police were called and Steward was arrested a short distance away.

After giving a number of versions of the story, Steward claimed he had consensual sex and said the woman had given him her room number earlier in the evening when she had seen him in the street.

The sentencing judge said the woman endured a two-hour ordeal, commenting the hotel was a highly respectable one and, by some means, Steward had reached its sixth floor.

In arguing for a sentence cut, Steward's barrister, Peter Fortune, said the Crown Court judge took inadequate regard of his level of intoxication.

Steward was apparently three times over the legal limit for driving and had taken a considerable cocktail of drugs, prescribed and illegal.

Mr Fortune said no weapon was used and argued the judge gave too much weight to Steward's previous offences for false imprisonment and robbery of a taxi driver.

But Lord Justice Rose said the rapes involved a number of aggravating features, including the use of violence over and above that necessary to carry out the offence.

He particularly referred to the mental effect on the woman, whose job required her to stay frequently in hotel rooms.

The judge said: "As a consequence of these offences, she had to leave the project she was working on and, at the time of trial, could certainly not contemplate staying in a hotel room."