A HORRIFYING 999 call in which a man was heard viciously attacking a woman and threatening to rape and kill her has been described as "the most harrowing" the emergency phone operators have ever heard.

Attacker Kevin Pendlebury of Castleton Court, Castle Road, Tyldesley, was jailed for 12-and-a-half years for attempted rape, assault and assault by penetration.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the 999 call made by the victim, screaming hysterically for help, fearing for her life, and desperately appealing for him to stop.

Her attacker then calmly rang 999 himself telling them he had been "very, very violent", and he confessed to beating her and trying to tie her up and rape her.

His victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was subjected to a horrifying attack, motivated by jealousy, in Pendlebury's flat after the pair returned from a night out in a club.

Prosecutor Miss Jones said: "She began to walk downstairs and he grabbed hold of her and pushed her downstairs. She ended up on her back at the bottom of the stairs.

"He was in a rage and began to kick and stamp on her.

"He pulled her up and threw her down the few remaining steps to the front door.

"While she lay helplessly on the floor he punched her and began pulling frantically at her clothes and ripped her underwear shouting: 'I'm going to rape you.'"

The court heard how his victim tried to fight back and bit Pendlebury on the arm and ear but was then sexually assaulted.

She asked to go to the toilet and rang 999 but was unable to speak to the operator as Pendlebury was listening outside the door, which he then smashed in.

She left the telephone line open and the five minute recording was played to the court.

Sentencing him Judge Mark Brown described him as "a dangerous offender" and said that apart from a sudden rage there was no explanation for him smashing up everything in his home and then attacking the woman.

He said that his calm and calculated behaviour afterwards was "a chilling factor" in the case.

The judge ordered Pendlebury to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and imposed an indefinite restraining order to keep away from his victim.