A RAPIST who repeatedly reminded his victim of what he had done to her is today behind bars.

Ian Mark Whittaker also told his work mate about how he had had sex with a woman without her consent, a jury heard at York Crown Court.

In lengthy text messages shown to the jury Whittaker told the woman: “I am a rapist.” He added “I was worse than bad, I have raped you” and claimed his solicitor “has my confession”.

But when he stood in the witness box, he claimed that the messages were not confessions and that he was only repeating what the woman had told him in “dribs and drabs” about their sexual encounter.

Asked by defence barrister Katherine Robinson if he had raped the woman, Whittaker replied: “I did not.”

The jury convicted him unanimously of rape.

Whittaker, 24, of Bransholme Drive, Clifton, had denied the charge.

Following the jury’s verdict on day four of his trial, Judge Simon Hickey remanded him in custody so that reports could be prepared.

Whittaker will be sentenced on March 18.

He will be subject to a restraining order which will ban him from posting anything about the victim on social media, harassing her or contacting her in any way directly or indirectly.

The woman told the jury how in a separate incident, Whittaker had put some material over her face and poured water over it until she struggled to breathe.

Whittaker denied doing this when he gave evidence.

Opening the prosecution, David Lamb said the woman tried to push Whittaker off her when he forced himself on her and raped her.

“He knew perfectly well that she was not consenting,” the prosecution barrister said.

In a text message seen by the jury Whittaker wrote: “I raped you and I hurt you.”

“That is exactly what you did,” Mr Lamb said to Whittaker when he cross-examined him.

“No sir,” Whittaker replied.

Mr Lamb told the jury Whittaker’s description of the rape in a text message was the same as the woman had described in her evidence.

In the texts, Whittaker claimed he was sorry and that “my solicitor has my confession” and “I understand it is a criminal offence and I deserve every punishment necessary, I am sorry”.

He also wrote he would plead guilty.

But when he gave evidence after pleading not guilty, he claimed that the woman had made up the story to avoid paying back money he claimed he had lent her.

The jury heard he had not mentioned the money to police or in his defence statement, a legal document outlining his defence.

He denied that he had invented his tale about the money in the weeks leading up to his trial.