by Paul Hooper

The victim of a gang rape lived for three months with the fear the father of her child was one of her attackers, a court has heard.

The young woman later told police she discovered she was pregant only after the attack in September last year.

She said: "Those 12 weeks were absolutely awful and put a great strain on my relationship with my boyfriend."

It was only then that tests showed her boyfriend was the father of her unborn child, Canterbury Crown Court was told.

She added: "The relief was immense when I found out the baby was my boyfriend’s.

"This has affected my whole family because no-one knew what to say to each other and that would put a strain on anyone."

The rapists, Benjamin Millen, 23, Max Parker, 27, and Ryan King, 20, were each jailed for eight years after being found guilty by a jury last month.

All of them wept as the Judge Philip St John-Stevens told them: "You acted together - there is no reason your actions should be distinguished one from the other."

Prosecutor Catherine Donnelly told the court how the victim had gone to a party with her boyfriend - but he left after being attacked by another guest.

The girl confronted the man she described as "a bit of as psycho" and soon after she was taken into a bedroom by one of her attackers.

She asked for her boyfriend, but was told he had gone and was told to lie down because she felt dizzy.

The court heard the three then laughed as they took it in turns to rape her - with the victim recalling hearing one of them say: "Let me have a go."

Millen, of Holywell Lane, Upchurch, Sittingbourne, King - known as Doom - of Moore Close, Dartford and Parker, of Fleetdale Parade, Dartford all denied the attack but were convicted.

The victim had told the jury: "I couldn’t move, let alone scream for someone."

Dominic Webber for Millen said he is "in many ways a kind, gentle and pleasant person" who was caught up in an "opportunistic offence."

Judge St John-Stevens also imposed a 10 years Sexual Offences Prevention Order banning the three from contacting the victim.

He said although the girl suffered no physical injuries "she was raped without protection. No condom was used by anyone. "

He added: "There were no physical injuries but the psychological effects are obvious.

"She had to live with the possibility that she was carrying the child of one of her attackers - rather than her partner."