A DAD-OF-THREE has been locked up for seven years after raping a woman he met on Tinder.

Terence Mackay, 45, appeared in the dock at Chester Crown Court last week for his trial after being accused of two counts of rape.

The court heard the pair met on the dating app in December 2015 before exchanging numbers and messaging on WhatsApp.

They arranged to meet and in January went on a date in Chester – where they kissed – before Mackay drove the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, home and asked if he could 'come in for a cup of tea', to which she agreed.

Jury members were told both parties accept engaging in consensual sex, initially.

Prosecution barrister Mark Connor said: "The prosecution alleges the defendant went further – he was only interested in satisfying his own sexual desires.

"On the way out he wanted to engage in sex again. She told him 'no' but did not want confrontation.

"He denies sex took place as he was leaving the property.

"She essentially froze and feared the repercussions of confrontation.

"She had come out of a long relationship. She told police she wanted to be liked."

During a police video interview, shown to the jury on Tuesday, March 7, the victim, who appeared in court via video link, said she deleted her Tinder account the following morning.

She added: "I was doing all I could to get him out of the house.

"He sent me a message at 4am and said 'thank you for kicking me out'.

"I said 'we needed it' and put two kisses. That's what I tend to do. He said 'true'. I deleted the messages.

"When I went upstairs there were unused condoms.

"I felt he was quite dominant in his sexual behaviour and style. I felt like an animal.

"I had consensual sex but he changed the sexual behaviour – I knew it was rape the whole time.

"I felt a lot of self-blame – how could I be so stupid?"

The court heard Mackay was 'living with his wife but accepted his marriage was over'.

Jury members were also told Mackay said the woman 'seemed to be enjoying' sex upstairs.

Defence barrister Paul Wood stated the case 'ultimately boils down to one word against the other'.

He said: "They accept having consensual intercourse at some point.

"It is the defence's case that she is lying, serious exaggerating as to what went on."

The court heard Mackay was in 'shock and disbelief' and his life was 'ruined' after the police came to his home.

Mr Wood added: "If the police are at the door at 1am, you have a family, three sons, how would you feel?

"Would you feel your world had been literally tipped upside down? Would you be absolutely petrified?"

The jury returned with a unanimous guilty verdict on count two just before 1pm last Friday.

A majority direction was then given on count one and the jury returned with a guilty verdict, with a majority of 10-2.

Judge Patrick Thompson sentenced Mackay to seven years imprisonment on count one and five years, concurrent, on count two.

He was given a restraining order and ordered to sign on the sex offender register – both indefinitely.