A man who raped a woman behind a supermarket in Makoi last year has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

The accused initially pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and sexual assault but changed his plea to guilty on September 17, this year.

According to court documents, the man attacked the victim near a bus stop, using force to drag her behind the supermarket before assaulting her.

High Court judge Justice Thushara Rajasinghe in delivering the sentence, emphasized the serious nature of the crime.

He reminded the rapist that rape is a severe violation of a person’s dignity.

The judge noted the offender’s high culpability due to the force used and the circumstances of the attack.

Justice Rajansinghe said the man’s early guilty plea spared the victim from reliving the traumatic incident during a trial.

He adds this resulted in a one-year reduction from the ten-year sentence.

The rapist will serve a non-parole period of six years and two months.

He had already spent 10 months in remand which was considered as part of the sentence.