A VICIOUS thug raped his ex lover while on bail for another assault on her.

Ryan Graham, 27, assaulted the female at a house in Irvine in March this year during an argument.

Days after being granted bail he violently raped her at her house despite conditions not to go near her.

The female tragically took her own life amid the police investigation, but a letter with the harrowing details was discovered in her home.

In it the 34-year-old describes the brutal attack by her former boyfriend.

Graham denied charges and claimed anything that happened between them sexually on the day of rape, was consensual.

Before the sex assault he told police during an interview when questioned about the first attack “I’m not a beast”.

After a trial at the High Court in Glasgow, Graham from Ayrshire was unanimously convicted of a violent and sexual assault on March 8 and raping the female on March 10, while on bail.

Graham smirked in the dock when the verdict was read and gave a ‘thumbs up’ sign to his family who were in the public gallery.

His victim’s account was relayed to the court through statements made to police and a heartbreaking letter detailing the brutal rape.

The court heard from PC Fiona Lawrie who read a statement about the March 8.

Jurors heard Ryan got in to bed with the girl and pulled the bedclothes off of her.

She said: “Ryan then pulled my top up to my arms covering my head, I was crying and telling him ‘what you're doing is rape’.

She described a sexual attack on her by Graham while she protested.

He kicked her and threw a torch at her and she told police “I’m scared of Ryan when he kicks off”.

The girl ran for help from a nearby couple who were outside.

But, after being arrested by police and granted bail with conditions not to go near her, Graham returned and raped his victim.

When he left her house she immediately reported him to police and gave another statement, detailing how she was raped.

Tragically, the woman took her own life while the investigations were ongoing by police.

While clearing out her home, her family discovered harrowing letter about her frightening attack by Graham.

In the letter she wrote she had bumped in to Graham who challenged her for reporting him to police and apologised for what he had done.

She said he “pulled out a small knife and told her to walk”.

The letter said he threatened to put the knife in her neck if she didn’t let him in to her house.

The emotional note included “‘He said ‘getting me done with a rape charge, I’ll show you rape’.

“He grabbed me by the hair and pushed me of there arm of the chair and pulled my leggings and pants down.

“He then started to have sex with me.

“I was crying when Ryan did this, I told him I didn’t want to do this.”

Defence QC Donald Findlay argued unsuccessfully that it was a breach of Graham's human rights that his lawyer was not able to cross examine the victim and said the jury was only being presented by hearsay evidence.

He said: "The trial is unfair to my client. The defence has not been able to challenge the complainer's evidence. The accused's special defence could not be tested."

Mr Findlay said the letter left by the complainer was "moving" but there was nothing to suggest when it had been written.

Judge Sean Murphy QC repelled the argument and said there was evidence of distress on the part of the victim witnesses by others which supported her rape claim.

He said: "There is a sufficiency of evidence for the jury to consider the charges against. 

Sentence was deferred and Graham remanded in custody.