Father filmed himself raping wife in her drunken sleep and was caught when she found the videos

A husband was jailed for repeatedly raping his wife in her drink-induced sleep and keeping videos of the attacks on his mobile phone. The horrified victim only discovered what had done to her when she found clips of the rapes on her husband's phone when he left his phone at home.

One of them showed her husband - with who she has children - ejaculating on her face while she slept. He wiped off the evidence before she woke up in the morning. Others included graphic close-ups of penetration, all filmed while the heavy-sleeping woman, who drank in the evenings, lay oblivious in the couple's bed.

The man, in his 30s, pleaded guilty to three counts of rape, one of assault by penetration, one of attempted rape and one of sexual assault at Newcastle Crown Court, according to the Daily Mail. In March, his wife found a special app called 'Video Locker' on his phone, which enables users to keep a private stash of films that cannot be viewed by others.

However, she was able to gain access to the app and was sickened to find a string of rape clips featuring her. She contacted her husband at work and said: "I've just watched videos of you raping me on your phone."

After an argument, the man handed himself into the police, telling them: "I have had sex with my wife. She didn't consent. She found out and saw videos on my phone."

The videos, which varied in length from 30 seconds to two minutes, have since been destroyed. The earliest dated back to September 2016 – when the couple had been together for ten years. Jailing the husband for nine years, Mr Recorder Baird said: "You did so for your own sexual gratification and treated her as an object for your fantasies, disregarding her wishes or needs."

Counsel for the defence Richard Herrmann said the attacker felt "genuine remorse" and was eager to change his ways at the end of his custodial sentence. He will have to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

His wife meanwhile told the court that her and her children's lives had been "turned upside down" by the revelation that she was a serial rape victim. "I never thought he would be capable of doing what he did. He has completely fooled me. I never want to see him again," she said.

Baird said: "You abused the trust that your wife placed in you. Between September 2016 and March this year, you raped and sexually abused her while she was incapable of giving consent to your actions. I take the view you took advantage of the fact that she was in drink and a heavy sleeper."