A Battersea engineer has been sentenced to eight years in jail after pleading guilty to raping a teenager.

Shaun McDowell, 32, raped a 19-year-old on November 17 after climbing through a window into a room in her house.

He then snuck into her bedroom and threatened her with a screwdriver when she awoke - before raping her twice.

Police said McDowell, of Strasberg Road, knew the teenager before the offence - and called her mobile afterwards.

Her mother encouraged him to go to Sutton police station, where he admitted to the offences.

He was charged the next day with two counts of rape, and sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on Monday to serve eight years - with a minimum of four.

Detective Constable John Daly, of the Sapphire Unit based at Sutton, said: "McDowell specifically targeted this woman put her through a horrendous ordeal.

“I would like to take this opportunity to praise her for her bravery and hope that this case will encourage other women to come forward if they have been a victim of rape."