Mark Douglas, of Bewicke Road, North Shields, pleaded guilty to rape when he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday. The 39-year-old was sentenced to six years in prison and three years concurrent for assault, and has been placed on the Sex Offender’s register indefinitely. He attacked a 27-year-old woman in the incident on March 4, inside an address in Willington Quay. He assaulted and then raped her during the attack before she was able to leave the premises and raise the alarm and seek help. Following enquiries, police arrested Douglas two days later and he was subsequently charged with the offences. After the hearing, DC Paul Barcham said: “We hope the outcome at court brings the victim some sense of justice and she can begin to move on with her life. “We are committed to providing support to victims of rape and we hope this sentence will help to give people the courage and confidence to come forward and report sexual offences to police, a partner agency or someone you trust.”