Two young men "egged each other on" before luring a drunken woman back to a house and raping her.

Hayleab and Tesfit Brhane, 19 and 20, picked their victim up on the streets of Canterbury and subjected her to a sustained sexual attack as she drifted in an out of consciousness.

Judge Catherine Brown told the pair they treated the woman "like a piece of meat" as she sentenced them to eight-and-a-half years today.

They had denied rape, claiming the sex was consensual, but a jury saw through their lies and they were convicted in June.

Sentencing them at Canterbury Crown Court, Judge Brown said: "The victim was treated like a piece of meat – an object to satisfy your sexual urges.

“Her wishes and whether she consented were wholly irrelevant to you.

"You had both decided that you were going to have sex with her and her intoxicated state, both through drink and cannabis, provided the opportunity for you to take advantage of a young woman who was highly vulnerable.

“I have no doubt that it was the combination of the two of you, egging each other on, that led you to behave in the appalling way that you did that night."

A jury had heard how their victim had been walking in Canterbury's High Street when she was approached by the Brhanes, who are not related.

Prosecutor Paul Valder said sports science student Tesfit schemed with Hayleab to rape the woman.

They took her to Hayleab’s home in Downs Road, where she fell unconscious, and the two men assaulted her in the early hours.

Mr Valder explained: "She got in a taxi with the two men and says her head was spinning. She says they escorted her upstairs, took her into a bedroom, and describes herself as being really drunk.

"She collapses on the bed, comes around and Tesfit is having intercourse with her - she was trying to get him off.

"She can remember him saying something like 'it's OK baby'."

The court heard when the woman regained her strength and accused the duo of raping her, Hayleab fled the room and Tesfit replied: "You liked it."

Hayleab is said to have raped her while she was unconscious.

The pair – who are from Eritrea - argued the woman agreed to intercourse and made up the rape allegations because she felt ashamed.

But a jury rejected their story and convicted Tesfit of two counts of rape and Hayleab of one.

Before they were sentenced, David Osborne, defending Tesfit, said he left Eritrea when he was 14 and lived with foster parents in the UK until he was 18.

“It was a difficult time as he had depression,” Mr Osborne said. “He’s already learned a very harsh lesson and it is quite possible he will be removed from the UK.”

Paul Jackson, defending Hayleab, said he was attending college at the time of the offence and was working and studying hard.

The pair will begin their sentences at a Young Offender's Institute.

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