A rapist who forced himself on a woman as she slept in her own home has had his jail term cut.

Dean Lewis Stott first had consensual sex with the victim - but she later awoke to find him raping her and he refused her pleas for him to stop.

The 47-year-old builder, of Dewham Close, Westhoughton, denied any wrongdoing, but was found guilty of rape.

He was locked up for eight years at Liverpool Crown Court in August last year.

But his sentence was yesterday reduced to six years by judges sitting at London's Criminal Appeal Court, who said the original term was too long.

The court heard Stott and the woman had been out drinking before going to her house near Wigan.

They started having sex, but she asked him to stop as she was too tired and he did.

However, she awoke soon after to find him raping her, and he refused to stop when she told him to.

He had one hand on her neck and was lying on her hair, causing her pain as she tried to move.

She eventually got free and told him to go, before reporting the incident to police.

The court heard the victim was seriously affected by what happened and no longer felt safe in her own home.

Stott's lawyers argued his jail term was over the top, saying that only limited violence was used against the victim.

Lady Justice Hallett said: "The aggravating factors in this case include the location of the offence, the impact on the complainant and the excessive consumption of alcohol."

But the judge, sitting with Mr Justice Lewis and Mr Justice William Davis, ruled the original sentence "excessive" and reduced it by two years.