A beggar who was caught raping a woman in the middle of the street after she stopped to help him has claimed that he did it because she wanted it.

James Campbell, 31, who lived with his mother in Paisley, Renfrewshire, admitted the attack which took place in Glasgow on August 16 last year.

He was begging in Glasgow when his victim stopped to check on him and try to help. The 57-year-old woman had noticed he was not wearing a top although it was cold and raining. She asked him if he was alright and chatted to him for about 10 minutes. Campbell then followed her and refused to go away.

As the woman walked past a lane, Campbell, who earned between £40 to £100 a day from begging, demanded a kiss before restraining and raping her.

The attack happened at about 6:30pm on August 16, 2018 in a lane between West Nile Street, and Nelson Mandela Place.

Prosecutor Angela Gray said: “He told the woman. ‘I love you. I want you to be my girlfriend.’ and she replied: ‘Don’t be daft. I don’t even know you.”

The court heard that the woman struggled with Campbell and repeatedly told him: “Please don’t” and “There is no need for this.”

Miss Gray added: “She repeatedly told him to stop and that he was hurting her.

“He did not stop and told her to shut up.

“A solicitor working in an office overlooking the lane saw the incident taking place and phoned the police.”

Officers arrived to find Campbell raping the woman and dragged him off her.

The sex attack was captured on CCTV and was described by Miss Gray as “graphic”. The rapist had fresh scratch marks on his outer thighs inflicted on him by the woman and the woman was visibly shaken and upset following the sexual assault.

After he was arrested, Campbell reportedly told police: “She wanted rough sex so I gave it to her.”

Campbell, who has been in custody since August, last year, was placed on the sex offenders’ register.

Sentence was deferred on Campbell until March 1 to obtain background reports