A SCOUT leader who tried to escape rape convictions by saying he committed the offences whilst asleep has been jailed for eight years.

Following a three week trial at Bolton Crown Court a jury rejected Michael Adamson's claims that he suffered from a rare disorder called sexsomnia, which causes sufferers to perform sexual activity while unconscious and unaware of what they are doing.

But the jury did not believe him and found him guilty of rape and sexual penetration of one woman and rape of a second victim - offences which were said to have taken place between January 2009 and December 2012.

Adamson first raped a woman in 2009 after she had been out drinking and he had collected her from her night out in his car.

He claimed that he had then fallen asleep and was still unconscious when he had sex with her. He subsequently went onto rape a second woman alleging an identical defence.

"That (defence), as far as I am concerned, was rejected by the jury and is rejected by me," Judge Timothy Stead told Adamson.

"To do it a second time compounds the offending."

Adamson, aged 28, of Morton Street, Radcliffe, wept in the dock as Colin Buckle, defending, told how the father-to-be will be in jail and unable to attend the forthcoming birth of his child.

Mr Buckle added that, other than the offences of which he has been convicted, Adamson has led a good life, serving the community as a scout leader and working full time as an auditor for a property company.

"In every other way he was a good man," said Mr Buckle, who added that whilst awaiting sentence in jail Adamson has also been mentoring other prisoners and has applied to start studying for a degree.

Sentencing Adamson and imposing sex offender restrictions on him, Judge Stead described his offending as "baffling."

"You are someone about whom many positive things can be said," said Judge Stead.

However, he added: "There is something within you that may be described as unwholesome, unhealthy or problematic that has caused you to behave as you did.

"For some reason you appear to been unable to stop yourself doing it."