A care worker from Falkirk, waived her right to anonymity so that her story may help people understand what victims go through.

Anne Doherty, 50, described yesterday how she was raped at knifepoint by a 19-year-old high on drink and drugs, at the care home where she worked.

Mrs Doherty told Sky News: "All of a sudden the door of the boiler cupboard burst open and this man jumped out, waving a machete."

She added: "Out the corner of my eye I suddenly saw his left hand raise the knife to thrust it towards my throat.

"I thought He's going to kill me'.

"I grabbed the handle of the knife and clung on. I didn't want to die that way.

"I kept saying to him I've got family, I've got a granddaughter. Please don't kill me'.

"When he realised that I wasn't letting go of the knife he started to bite my arm - I've still got the scars.

"He literally took two chunks out of my arm, but I didn't really feel it.

"I just knew that I couldn't let go as he was so enraged. If I did let go, he was going to kill me."

She said he then head-butted her in the face.

On Wednesday at the High Court in Edinburgh, Heroin addict Steven Malcolm was jailed for a minimum of nine years for the attack on Mrs Doherty.

The attack took place in July 2006 at the nursing home where Mrs Doherty has worked for 10 years.

It was a warm summer evening and the front doors had been left open to let in a breeze. Malcolm, of Camelon, Falkirk, who was drunk on wine and high on heroin, had earlier slipped through the doors and hidden in one of the home's bedrooms.

He forced Mrs Doherty into a staff bedroom and barricaded the door. He then ordered Mrs Doherty to strip and raped her twice.

Eventually, someone managed to raise the alarm. The police arrived and Malcolm was arrested.

Lord Menzies jailed him for at least nine years and put him on a life-long restriction order which can involve him being monitored for the rest of his life.