A violent rapist repeatedly punched his terrified victim in the face mid-attack before launching a sickening assault on her dog.

David Mills, 41, pinned the woman down inside a flat in Kent, striking her as she tried fighting him off.

After overpowering the woman, Mills threw her dog down the hallway after yanking it off the ground by its lead, and screamed at her to leave.

Mills, of Folkestone, was jailed at Canterbury Crown Court for six years and nine months today after admitting rape, following the attack in 2020.

His victim told the court she remains haunted, feeling violated by the terrifying ordeal.

“He has destroyed my life and taken my confidence from me," she said.

“I used to have a friendly personality and now I can’t trust anyone. I don’t know who I am, he has taken my personality and I feel violated.

"I hate that he has stolen my life - I’m scared to sleep at night because I don’t want the terrible dreams to haunt my mind."

“You picked up her dog and threw it down the hallway. Maybe you were already disgusted with yourself..."

The court heard Mills carried out his attack after smoking cannabis and drinking alcohol with his victim, when she rebuffed his attempt to kiss her.

After Mills pinned her down she tried struggling away, however, he “began to punch her to the face three or four times, and her nose began to bleed”, Martin Yale, prosecuting said.

Mr Yale described how Mills “screamed at her to get out of the flat” and then launched her pet down the hallway.

Mills picked the dog up by the lead, prompting the woman to kick him, but he pushed her against furniture, causing a mirror to smash.

Eventually Mills’ victim was able to escape and alert the authorities.

Mills told detectives during an interview the sex was consensual, but he pleaded guilty to rape at a pre-trial preparation hearing.

Thomas Stern, representing Mills, said he accepted he was “ultimately, unequivocally responsible”, for the attack.

He added Mills, who worked at Hythe Convenience Store at Stop 24, was deeply remorseful over his actions, which were spurred by alcohol, and that “there is a sadness within him about this situation.”

Mr Stern highlighted Mills, who has one previous conviction for common assault, spared his victim “the ordeal of having to relive the deeply traumatic episode”.

Judge Rupert Lowe said Mills’ previous conviction, dating back to 2010, involved punching his then-partner repeatedly in the face.

He continued: “Here is a sinister echo of what you’d done to your partner. You punched her in the face three or four times, which gave her a nosebleed.”

Speaking of Mills’ rape victim, he added: “She, having been raped in that violent manner, pulled up her trousers and you turned to her and screamed [to leave].

“You picked up her dog and threw it down the hallway. Maybe you were already disgusted with yourself.”

Mills, of Marshall Street, Folkestone, must serve two thirds of his sentence before being released on licence.