Cardiff Queen Street rapist jailed for student attack

A man has been jailed for five-and-a-half years for a raping a student after she left a Cardiff night club.

Aymen Smaili, 35, was in Britain on a six-month visitors' visa when followed her from the Live Lounge and raped her in a lane off Queen Street on 20 September.

The victim told police she was "frozen" during the attack.

Smaili pleaded guilty and must serve half of his sentence before he is eligible for release.

Cardiff Crown Court heard the woman left the nightclub with friends at 02:30 BST and told them she was okay to walk home as it was "only a short walk".

Smaili approached her but she could not understand what he was saying due to his strong Arabic accent.

'I feel contaminated'

He then put his arm over her and pushed her against a wall.

The victim told the police: "This makes me feel dirty, and I don't feel comfortable in my own skin.

"I feel contaminated. I just want to scrub it all away."

Judge Michael Fitton told Smaili: "You waited in my view to see if anyone was going to go with her.

"At that stage, in my view she was particularly vulnerable."

He reduced Smaili's sentence from eight years and three months due to his early guilty plea.