A rapist who skipped bail ran away with his teenage girlfriend because she was pregnant, a court heard yesterday.

Steven Barton and 16-year-old Kayleigh Quinn spent two days on the run after leaving a blood-stained note pinned to a fence near her home.

The convicted sex beast, who in 1996 raped a 92-year-old grandmother at her husband's graveside, and the blonde beauty student had made no clear plans for their survival, sleeping rough in woods.

When they were eventually captured it was because Kayleigh had made a dash home to Rectory Close, Pulborough, to collect clean clothes. She was spotted, police teams searching nearby gave chase and Barton was collared.

At the time it was suggested Kayleigh's family had not approved of her growing relationship with the convicted older man.

Yesterday a court was told a different story: Kayleigh is pregnant.

Barton, 23, of Spierbridge Road, Storrington, has only been out of custody for nine months since his 15th birthday. He was jailed for ten years for the rape but released in August last year on licence.

In February this year he was given a conditional discharge for smashing up a bus shelter.

In April he was in court again for headbutting a teenager who accidentally bumped into him in Pulborough.

Magistrates released him on bail until June 10. When he failed to arrive at a hostel in Purbrook, Hampshire, on that date, the hunt was launched.

Yesterday, when he returned to court to finally be sentenced for the assault, the official story for his disappearance was given to magistrates in Crawley.

David Street, Barton's solicitor, explained how the rapist and Kayleigh decided to run away after the young student discovered she was pregnant.

He said they were terrified how Kayleigh's family, already unhappy with their relationship, would react to the news.

Now, he said, Barton wanted a chance to make things right for him, for Kayleigh and for their unborn child.

He said: "He is anxious to get his life back on course."

Mr Street admitted Barton's future was not "rosy" but the couple were still "very much in touch and together."

He said: "There were issues with his young girlfriend. She had announced she was pregnant with his child.

"There had been a breach within the family. She was homeless and she was very worried. It resulted in his breaching bail.

"While he has been on remand awaiting sentence, 30 to 40 letters have passed backwards and forwards between them."

Mr Street said Kayleigh's parents Anthony and Michelle, who split nine years ago, were now aware of the forthcoming birth and were not "anti" their continuing relationship.

He pleaded for Barton to be given another chance.

He said: "Looking towards the future his position is not particularly rosy.

"During the last month Steven Barton has made good use of the facilities in the prison. He has found a two-year course at Brinsbury Agricultural College starting on September 12.

"He is anxious to get his life back on course. He has not had much of an opportunity to do many of these things.

"Since the age of 15 he has spent nine months and three days free. He has either been in prison serving his sentence or in secure accommodation awaiting trial.

"He is coming up for 24 but since a teenager he has spent very little time in the community. His ability to adjust is considerably damaged and constricted.

"He has a 16 or 17-year-old's experience of life in a 23-year-old's body. He wants to be responsible to Kayleigh and his child, which is six-and-a-half months away.

"His plan and wish is to do what everybody else does - to look after his family and get a job. He is asking for a last chance."

Magistrates were told how Barton had launched into the unprovoked attack in Pulborough on April 21. Mark Maitland, prosecuting, told the court he headbutted a man twice.

He said: "It was 7.15pm. Three young people were on their way home, passing Mr Barton who was walking with a friend and his girlfriend in the opposite direction.

"One of the people accidentally collided with Mr Barton and his girlfriend. Mr Barton simply went up to him, moved his head very quickly and before he knew what had happened, he had been headbutted.

"Soon after, he headbutted him again."

The assault earned Barton a two-month prison sentence.

But, because it was a breach of the conditions of his early release, it also triggered a return to prison to serve out a further six months of his sentence for the 1996 rape.

Two years remain but the magistrates agreed with Mr Street's assessment of Barton's situation as "unusual".

Mr Street said: "There is a substantial amount of his sentence left. Normally, a return to prison follows much more serious offences than the ones he is here for today.

"Considering the difficulties he was having getting back into the community then I propose it is to his credit he did not commit offences in the months after his release.

"He has made inquiries about the future. He has a much clearer idea about his responsibilities and how he will address them. That level of progress cannot be understated."

court chairman David Brown said: "We have thought extremely hard about this matter. Our decision is that this assault is serious, so serious that custody is appropriate.

"You gave two headbutts - a potentially serious assault with potentially serious effects and the victim was only 16 years old.

"We have discussed whether your original prison sentence should be re-activated. The court's decision is it should be activated. You should serve a further six months under that section. As to the assault itself, our decision is two months in custody."

The sentences are to run concurrently. Barton could be free to witness the birth of his baby.