A “MARRIED” gay man raped a teenage girl while “off his head” on drink and cocaine, a court heard.

Andries Daniel Els had spent the evening telling acquaintances that he was going to have sex with the 19-year-old girl, and after they left the club where they had all been drinking, he dragged her off into woodland.

CCTV footage showed South African Els with his arm around her neck abducting her into the woods in Tyldesley after leaving the Starlight Club in Lime Street, said Daniel Travers, prosecuting at Liverpool Crown Court.

The distressed and barefoot victim managed to escape after he raped her and called at a nearby house, crying and shaking, at about 6am and asked the shocked householder to call the police.

She could not recall how she escaped, but remembered running away.

During the attack some of her hair extensions had been pulled out, said Mr Travers.

Els, aged 19, was arrested three weeks after the attack on September 18, 2008, and denied the incident.

He admitted drinking excessively and taking cocaine that night and said he had blacked out for half-an-hour.

His barrister Michael Morley told the court that Els had been in a gay relationship for five years and had gone through a civil service with his partner a year ago.

“His friends and relatives must be incredulous that he is in court on this charge,” he said.

“This case underlines how excessive alcohol and drugs can result in someone turning into someone they are normally not.”

Els, of Shuttle Street, Tyldesley, who has no previous convictions, admitted rape and was jailed for five years four months.

Judge Adrian Lyon said: “This was an appalling offence committed on a vulnerable young woman in circumstances where you dragged her from the street into woods intent on having sex with her.”

The judge also ordered Els to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

After the case Detective Constable Jackie Hulme, from Greater Manchester Police said: “Els took advantage of this young woman.

“He saw that she was intoxicated and used that to lead her to a secluded area where she was unable to defend herself against a much bigger man.

“He is an opportunist and a bully and he subjected his victim to a terrifying ordeal.

“I hope seeing him behind bars will give the victim some peace of mind."