AN Australian soldier who tried to rape a North-East woman was allowed to join the British Army despite a similar conviction abroad, it was revealed last night.

The Ministry of Defence failed to check Daniel Mason's background when he moved to Britain and enlisted in the armed forces after serving a five-year sentence for attempted rape in New South Wales.

The 25-year-old, stationed at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, was last night jailed for 12 years after he admitted trying to rape a woman in her home at knifepoint.

Teesside Crown Court heard that Mason was a juvenile when he was convicted in Australia of trying to rape a 66-year-old widow and beating her with a table leg.

On his release from prison, he came to Britain in 2002 and enrolled in the Army after failing to declare his previous convictions on an entry form.

The Ministry of Defence said last night it was not possible to check every recruit's background and Mason had lied to them.

But Kevin McNamara MP, who is spearheading a campaign for a public inquiry into non-combat Army deaths, said it was worrying that background checks were not been carried out, especially with the threat of terrorism.

He said: "If you are going to have security clearance and if they are checking for terrorist-related offences they ought to be checking for other serious convictions of violence.

"If you have had a conviction for violence, or in this case attempted rape, in another country, would you be a person worthy of Her Majesty's uniform?"

The court heard Mason went to his victim's home in Colburn, North Yorkshire, in the early hours of April 17.

The woman, who was known to Mason, was watching television and allowed him into her house so he could call someone to collect him.

Mason pushed the woman into a chair and waved a knife in her face before forcing her to remove her underwear.

Prosecuting, Christopher Atwool said: " He was holding her around the throat causing her some pain. The defendant told her not to scream and said, 'We are going to have some fun but you know I could kill you.'

"She was screaming get out." He then tried to rape her.

The court heard the woman had been in the middle of a telephone conversation before Mason had struck and her friend had heard his threats and rushed over to her home and interrupted the attack.

Rod Hunt, defending, said : "There is a character change that comes over him when he drinks to excess. He is full of shame."

Judge Peter Fox said it was a terrifying ordeal and he had no doubt Mason would have gone on to rape the woman if he had not been disturbed.

He said: "You are a dreadful menace to this society in which you have lived in the past couple of years."

An MoD spokeswoman said: "At the time Daniel Mason applied to join the Army he failed to declare his previous convictions.

"The MoD is unable to carry out personal detailed checks on all its recruits. Ultimately he has lied on his declaration form.

"Regarding terrorism, there are defence security checks that we do. I can't go into that."

Mason, of Low Green, Catterick Garrison, was ordered to register as a sex offender.