A SEXUAL predator who prowled student halls looking for somebody to attack wants to appeal his conviction.

Sultan Mohammed had denied raping the woman at Essex University but was convicted following a trial and jailed for eight years.

But the 26-year-old has made an application for leave to appeal his conviction which will be heard in London's Court of Appeal later this month.

If it is granted by a senior judge then a full appeal could be made.

During Mohammed's original trial, Ipswich Crown Court heard he was on the Colchester campus in the early hours of the morning and managed to gain access to a block of flats via an insecure door.

He then got into a room, stripped naked and raped the victim as she slept.

When she challenged him, Mohammed said his name was Michael and claimed they had met at a nightclub.

He left the area but was caught on CCTV trying other windows and doors across campus.

Police later discovered a hand print on a window before searching his address in Almond Way, Colchester.

Mohammed, who has an international business management degree, was also handed a restraining order by Judge David Pugh and a ban from the campus on top of his jail sentence.

The case led to a review of security at all the university’s accommodation blocks and extra CCTV cameras being installed.

At the end of the trial, the victim said the ordeal had left her emotionally distant, anxious and so frequently sad she had sought therapy.

At the time, investigating officer Det Con Adam Tyhurst said: “This was a predatory attack and it has understandably had a devastating effect on the woman’s life.

"I’d like to commend her on the strength and courage she has shown throughout the investigation, standing strong to ensure Sultan Mohammed was held accountable for what he did."