A MAN has been jailed for seven years after raping a 24-year-old woman. 

David Gordon Howse, 33, of The Quadrangle, pleaded guilty to raping a 24-year-old woman between 11.30pm on January 8, 2019, and the early hours of January 9, 2019. 

The woman was said to be walking across a car park area between Beaulieu Road and Selbourne Drive in Eastleigh when Howse approached her. 

He then followed her into an alleyway in Whyteways where he raped her.

Howse was arrested in late December 2019 and charged with the rape in July 2020. 

Today, at Southampton Crown Court, Howse was sentenced to seven years in prison. 

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life. 

Detective Inspector Gareth Jones of Hampshire Constabulary’s Amberstone team, branded the crime "truly harrowing". 

He added: "I would like to pay tribute to the victim for the courage that she has shown throughout the investigation; we understand it is not always easy for victims to have to re-live an already terrifying ordeal.

“Hampshire Constabulary is dedicated to getting justice for victims and ensuring Eastleigh is a safe place to live. 

“I hope this sentence today goes someway to giving the woman closure and reassures her, and the communities in Hampshire, that justice has been served."