A 44-year-old man has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty of raping a schoolgirl and careless driving in Ipswich.

Before Ipswich Crown Court on Friday for sentencing was Francois Havenga, of the Norwich area.

Francois Havenga was sentenced for the rape and careless driving Francois Havenga was sentenced for the rape and careless driving (Image: Suffolk Police) He was sentenced for two offences of raping a child and an offence of driving an Audi A3 on the A140 at Brockford and Spinner Close in Ipswich carelessly.

The jury previously found the defendant not guilty of the original dangerous driving charge and instead gave the alternative verdict of careless driving.

It was alleged that when Havenga was suspected of the child rape offences he sent a text message saying he was sorry and that he was “going to carry on driving until he ran out of road”.

Police were alerted and officers tried to stop Havenga on the A140 but he had sped off and had allegedly driven dangerously on the A140 and in Ipswich before decamping from his car and fleeing on foot, the court previously heard.

Following his arrest, Havenga denied raping a schoolgirl and he also denied having a sexual interest in children.

The mother of the girl provided a victim impact statement to the court.

The court heard the girl would cry herself to sleep and that Havenga had threatened to kill her and her family if she said anything.

She explained: “She has a vacant look and doesn’t hear anyone talking or anyone else around her sometimes.

“She is not comfortable being cuddled.

“She struggles to sleep and wakes up constantly through the night and the nights she does sleep is out of sheer exhaustion.

“She is worried he will be released and that he will come to the house”, the court heard.

“She has tried to be strong and she is keeping it all in which worries me” the mother said.

Judge David Wilson gave Havenga a 12-year determinate custodial sentence with three years on extended licence, meaning the defendant will have to serve at least eight years in prison.

The defendant's driving licence was also endorsed with six points and he will be subject to the sex offenders register indefinitely.