THE FAMILY of a rape victim have criticised the jail sentence her attacker received.

Leon Bent, aged 25, was sent to prison for four years and eight months after appearing at Bolton Crown Court earlier this week.

The Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Timothy Clayson heard how the 51-year-old victim had been drinking before she met stranger Bent in the Tasters takeaway shop, kissed him and he agreed to help her get home.

But the court was told how instead he guided and almost pulled her away from her house to an alleyway near the junction of Rawson Street and Park Street where he raped her.

The judge heard that Bent, who suffered mental damage as a child and had been taking drugs at the time, mistakenly believed the woman was consenting to sex.

In view of what Judge Clayson described as a "highly unusual combination of factors" he sentenced Bent, of Glynne Street, Farnworth, to a shorter sentence than is usual for rape.

The decision has been criticised by the woman's sister.

"I believe Bent was fully aware of his actions and if he is not fully aware of his actions then he shouldn't have been on the streets at all," she said.

"He was an opportunist," she said, adding that he took advantage of his victim's intoxicated state, knowing what he was doing was wrong.

The sister said Bent's victim has been unable to return to the home she loved and has lived in for 13 years and believes everybody in Farnworth knows who she is.

"It has changed her life," said the sister.

"She used to go out and enjoy herself and go out shopping but now she always has to have someone go with her," she said.

"We are having to ring her constantly to make sure she is ok."

The sister added that she was not surprised by the length of sentence Bent received but hopes that now the court case is over his victim can start to rebuild her life.