AN ASYLUM seeker who raped a young mother has been sentenced under public protection provisions because he poses a significant and high risk of harm to women.

An indeterminate sentence was passed on Ahmed Mohamed with a direction he serve at least two and three quarter years before being considered for parole, but only if deemed safe to be released, when he appeared with a co-accused for sentence at Canterbury Crown Court.

The co-accused man Osman Eltomme, 19, was sent to a young offenders institution for five years.

The victim, from Margate, had been to a nightclub and was walking to a friend's house when she was dragged off the street at 3am in July and attacked behind the town's Nayland Rock Hotel where both men were living at the time.

Mohamed, 30, had come to the UK from Sudan only a month before the rape and Eltomme only 10 days before.

The 20-year-old's ordeal ended when the accused were chased off by dog walker Julian Johncock who the judge commended for his courageous and timely intervention and recommended for a High Sheriff commendation and monetary award.

Judge Anthony Webb said Mohamed posed a significant risk because he had initiated the offence, encouraged the younger man in its commission and had no concept of the harm such a violent act did to the victim.

He had persisted in telling a probation officer who prepared a report on him the woman had in some way encouraged him and blamed Eltomme.

Eltomme was said to have shown understanding of the wickedness of his behaviour and had played a lesser role.

Only Mohamed actually penetrated the woman, although Mr Johncock saw both men with their trousers down as Mohamed raped her while Eltomme held her down and touched her breasts, and Judge Webb said he had no doubt that had Mr Johncock not intervened, Eltomme would have also penetrated her.

Eltomme was said to have deeply regretted his behaviour and would have liked the judge to order his body to be cut into 1000 pieces and given to the victim, the British public and the police to demonstrate how sorry and ashamed he was.

He acknowledged in a letter to the court it was a vicious crime and apologised to the hotel staff and immigration authorities. Mohamed was also said to be ashamed of his actions.

Both were recommended for deportation but will be on the sex offenders register for life while in the UK.