A WOMAN who was raped as a gun was put in her mouth was praised for her bravery today as her attacker started nine years behind bars.

Detectives investigating the case said the victim showed courage in giving vital evidence in the witness box as father-of-three Danny Ward was jailed for a total of nine years at Preston Crown Court.

Ward had threatened to "blow her away" after putting the weapon in her mouth, the court was told.

The 39-year-old of Laithe Street, Burnley, was found guilty of charges of rape, having an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and also of having an imitation firearm with intent to cause an indictable offence.

Judge Anthony Proctor sentenced him to eight years for the offences plus another year for an unrelated drugs offence.

Ward was said to have raped the woman after calling at an address in the town in April last year.

The prosecution claimed the attack occurred in an upstairs bedroom where he placed a starting pistol in her mouth and to the back of her head, threatening to blow her away.

But Ward claimed to police and to the jury that sex had occurred with the woman's consent. He stated that a toy gun was pointed at him by the woman as she jokingly made him strip.

Today Det Constable Neil Thompson, involved in the case said: "This was a particularly nasty offence which left the victim very traumatised." He added: "She was very brave to appear in court."

The court heard that on April 30 the woman returned to her home in Burnley and Ward turned up drunk and drinking from a bottle.

He told her to go into a bedroom and then pulled a gun from his jeans.

Nick Kennedy, prosecuting said: "He threatened to blow her foot off with it. He put the gun inside her mouth, threatening to blow her away.

"He put the gun to the back of her head and all the time was threatening her with it. She was absolutely terrified."

Mr Kennedy said after her ordeal, the victim ran naked from the house in sheer terror.