A sex attacker has finally been brought to justice 13 years after he brutally raped a woman he followed from a railway station.

Jason Clark was first arrested five years after the attack but because the DNA match put the odds of it not being him at one in 120,000, it was not considered sufficient to proceed.

But last year, a hair that had been taken from the victim was linked to the 37-year-old dustman’s DNA, increasing the odds to one in 160 million.

Clark, of Mount Pleasant Road, Dartford admitted rape and was jailed for eight-and-a-half years.

A judge told him: "The consequences of your act that evening was to destroy the life of a decent young woman. You violated her personal integrity. You abducted her peace of mind, probably forever."

Maidstone Crown Court heard that the victim was leaving Otford station, Sevenoaks, one evening in August 1995 when she saw a man at the exit.

Eleanor Laws, prosecuting, said the woman walked across the car park and into an alleyway. She heard footsteps behind her and moved over to let the person pass.

But Clark, then 24, grabbed her from behind as she struggled and screamed. He punched her in the head and told her to keep quiet or he would get his knife out.

He put his arm across her mouth, making it difficult for her to breathe. He pushed her to the ground and raped her. She could see his face and realised it was the man she had seen at the station.

Afterwards, he told her: “That wasn’t so bad, was it? Go on, run back to your boyfriend.”

Miss Laws said swabs were taken from the victim but a DNA profile of the attacker could not be identified.

A DNA sample was taken from Clark in 2000 when he was arrested for drug offences. But the match was not considered strong enough to proceed.

Clark told police he had been taking drugs for epilepsy and drinking heavily and had no recollection of raping the woman.

Further tests were carried out on hair combings taken from the victim and a hair that was not hers was matched to Clark.

Miss Laws said the woman, who was in court, had suffered distress over the years as a result of what had happened.

Clark will remain on the sex offenders’ register for life.