An Eastbourne man broke down in tears when a jury cleared him of rape allegations. However, he was jailed for wounding.

Daniel Jessup admitted beating up the woman at her Eastbourne home last September but denied rape, saying she had consented to sex.

The 20-year-old, of Petworth Place, Hampden Park, was sentenced to two years in a young offenders' institution for wounding her.

During the four-day trial at Lewes Crown Court the court heard the woman give evidence behind a screen.

She claimed Jessup attacked her after an argument over his girlfriend, claiming that he threatened to kill her.

She said she was scared and submitted to sex because she feared he would beat her again.

The woman ran barefoot and bleeding heavily into the street and was taken to hospital by a passing motorist.

Jessup told the jury she had consented to sex and it was only afterwards that he lost his temper and punched her at least seven times in the head, causing her to suffer black eyes, a bloody nose and bleeding mouth.

She also suffered a wound to her forehead which needed stitching when an object was thrown at her.

Judge Richard Hayward told Jessup: "You subjected her to an extremely vicious assault. You beat her with your fists and you hit her over the head with a cup or ashtray which required stitches.

"Although you are young you have a previous conviction for inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, which shows what a vicious and violent man you can be.

"Physically abusing women is an extremely serious matter and only a custodial sentence is appropriate in this case."

Henry Spooner, defending, said: "This was unfortunately a spontaneous outburst of anger meted out to the victim."

He said Jessup had a problem with his temper caused by his upbringing when his father was extremely violent to him and his mother.

Mr Spooner said Jessup's father served six years in jail for attempted murder while Jessup was young.

He said the defendant had been remanded in custody since his arrest and had been deeply affected when his prison cellmate hanged himself one night.

Jessup had denied two charges of rape and was also cleared of falsely imprisoning the girl.