Robert Mills met his victim in New Romney one evening in August 2019 before they walked back to his home in Hardy Road, Greatstone.
Mills had offered to walk the woman home but instead led her through the woods to where he lived and once inside locked the door and raped her.
The woman was terrified after Mills had shown her he was carrying a knife, but she managed to escape from his property following the attack and ran home to safety during the early hours of the morning.
The incident was reported to Kent Police straight away and Mills was arrested the same day. Despite denying the allegations, the 28-year-old was convicted of two counts of rape following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court on 25 August 2023.
He was subsequently jailed for a total of eight-and-a-half years on Friday 8 December 2023 and will serve an additional five-and-a-half years on licence under the terms of an extended sentence.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Elizabeth Burridge said: ‘Tackling violence against women and girls is a top priority for Kent Police and our officers are committed to bringing those who commit sexual offences like those in this case before the courts.
‘The victim has shown tremendous courage in reporting Mills to us and has remained strong throughout the investigation despite having to re-live what happened during a trial because Mills refused to tell the truth. He has shown no remorse for his actions and I’m only thankful that justice has been served.
‘I urge anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to contact Kent Police as soon as possible. We’ll take steps to keep you safe and act to make sure offenders cannot harm others.’
