Woman raped in Liverpool city centre bar on night out with friend.

A man was sentenced to three years in prison for raping a woman in a Liverpool bar.

Bruno Nunes Da Silva, 27, wept in court as Judge Louise Brandon told him women have a "right to go out and enjoy themselves" without being harassed and subjected to such behaviour.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the young chef, who had come over from his home in Dublin to watch Liverpool FC play at Anfield, embarked on a night out in the city.

During the evening of September 16, he ended up at the Black Rabbit bar on Fleet Street and made eye contact with a young woman who was dancing there with friends. Robert Wyn Jones, prosecuting, said Silva ended up dancing with the woman and kissed her briefly. She did not mind and kissed him back, but she decided she was not interested in him and moved away to sit with her friend on a bench at the side of the club.

CCTV footage showed that Silva walked over to her, unzipped his trousers, and pushed the tip of his penis into her mouth, which was at his waist height. The shocked young woman pushed him away by his hips and grabbed her drink, moving away. The victim ran outside where she collapsed to the ground crying and vomiting, and was joined by her friends who comforted her, said Mr Wyn Jones.

One of her male friends saw Da Silva outside the club and detained him, handing him over to door staff who passed him onto the police when they arrived. Da Silva, of Frederick North Lane, Dublin, pleaded guilty to rape and was jailed for three years and ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Judge Brandon accepted that Da Silva was genuinely remorseful, but told the defendant she had a duty to protect young women. She said they had the right to go out and enjoy themselves without being harassed and subjected to such behaviour.

The CCTV footage also showed that the victim's friend was visibly shocked, raising her hand to her mouth. The victim ran outside where she collapsed to the ground crying and vomiting, and was joined by her friends who comforted her, said Mr Wyn Jones. One of her male friends saw Da Silva outside the club and detained him, handing him over to door staff who passed him onto the police when they arrived. Da Silva, of Frederick North Lane, Dublin, pleaded guilty to rape and was jailed for three years and ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Judge Brandon accepted that Da Silva was genuinely remorseful, but told the defendant she had a duty to protect young women. She said they had the right to go out and enjoy themselves without being harassed and subjected to such behaviour.

Louise McCloskey, defending, said that it had been a stupid drunken act. She said that Da Silva has no convictions either in the UK, Ireland, or his homeland of Brazil. He had moved from South America to Ireland where he learnt English and began working as a chef. He came over to the city to watch Liverpool FC play and during his night out had a lot to drink. She said it was clear from his demeanour that he is genuinely remorseful and had not been thinking about the consequences of his actions.

"It was a momentary lack in his consequential thinking," she said.