A brutal rapist who attacked a woman in her own home has been jailed.

Steven Moran, described as a prisoner at Low Moss, Bishopbriggs, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison at the High Court in Livingston today.

The 29-year-old earlier pled guilty to making his way into a woman's home without her consent before assaulting and raping her.

Moran, who had been in a relationship with his victim, repeatedly kicked the front door before entering her house uninvited.

The court was told that the woman - who can't be named for legal reasons - heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

She was confronted by the accused who started shouting at her. He grabbed her by the hair, causing her to fall to the floor but she managed to break free and ran downstairs.

Repeatedly threatening her with violence, he chased her downstairs before causing her to fall to the floor again. While she was lying on her back he knelt over her and placed his hands round her throat.

He then let go of her throat, ripped off her pyjama bottoms and raped her. She was shouting and crying and trying to fight him off, the court was told.

After a few minutes Moran stopped and a short while later he left the house. When police spoke to the woman she was visibly upset and had a bruise to her forehead.

Police linked Moran to the rape through DNA samples taken at the scene.

Defence counsel Tony Graham said the rape at a house in Clydebank, East Dunbartonshire on November 15 last year, was very much a "one-off" incident and was out of character for Moran.

He told judge Lord Bannatyne: "Your Lordship deals with a man who is appalled by his behaviour."

Passing sentence, Lord Bannatyne told Moran: "I take into account your lack of previous offending, that you've been a useful member of society and you're assessed as being at low risk of further offending.

"However, I have to recognize that rape is on any view a very serious offence and these offences involve a material degree of violence. Having regard to the background, a custodial sentence is inevitable."