ARAPIST who dragged a French student into a dark lane at knifepoint before attacking herwas jailed for six years yesterday.

A court heard how Patrick Robertson, 36, confronted the 20-year-old in the west end of Glasgow in the early hours of the morning.

Once in the dark alley, Robertson pushed the girl, a complete stranger, against a gate and tore off her clothes.

He then made the student lie down and had sex with her as she pleaded: "Don't kill me, please let me go."

Robertson, of Bilsland Drive, Ruchill, Glasgow, boasted to police who first questioned him: "I'm not a rapist. I can get any woman I want."

Later, in court, he admitted rape, but claimed he could not remember a thing about the attack, on April 21.

When he appeared for sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, Richard Freeman, defending, said Robertson's "blackout" appeared to be the result of a combination of alcohol and drugs he had taken in his flat before going out that night.

But during the investigation which followed, Robertson had accepted he was responsible.

DNA from the student's clothes showed the odds of him not being the attackerwere one in a billion, the court heard.

"He displayed both shock and disbelief at his actions, " the lawyer said. "He cannot comprehend how he committed this offence which, on the face of it, would appear to be completely out of character."

Robertson had said that if he could rewind the clock he would do so.

However, jailing him, judge Lord Brodie told him that taking drink and drugs was no excuse forwhat happened.

The judge said that if Robertson had not pleaded guilty - sparing the student the need to relive her ordeal in the witness box - the sentence would have been between seven and eight years.

Although Robertson had previous minor convictions for dishonesty, the court heard, his record did not include sex offences or violence.

He pounced on his victim as she walked along Highburgh Road after finishing a late-night shift in a bar.

After raping her, he robbed her of her student ID card and also made her show him her Glasgow address in an address book she was carrying.

Robertson then forced the frightened woman to walkwith him along Dowanhill Street and Victoria Crescent before letting her go. "I'm sorry for destroying your life, " he told her.

Soon afterwards, police spotted him and wondered what he was doing wandering the streets at that time of the morning. The officers in the patrol car took his name and address, and Robertson was later brought in for questioning.

Annabel Goldie MSP, Tory home affairs spokeswoman, said yesterday, it was "scandalous" that Robertson would be eligible for parole after serving three years of his sentence.

She said: "It is difficult to comment on individual cases but this man will get automatic release after four and a half years. That's the scandal that Labour refuses to deal with."