A woman who claims she endured three days of "fear and degradation" at the hands of a computer tycoon has won £259,000 in damages against his estate in one of the largest awards of its kind.

Amanda Lawson alleged that she was repeatedly raped, drugged with crack cocaine and plied with vodka by Christopher Dawes, founder of IT company Micromuse, in December 1998.

The 39-year-old millionaire denied rape and had not been charged when he died in a driving accident in Essex three months later.

Ms Lawson, 42, sued his estate in the High Court over the psychological injury she suffered and its effect on her ability to continue running her hairdressing business.

The estate said that she has suffered no loss and that it was all a fiction contrived by her for financial gain. Representatives for Mr Lawson admitted that there were sexual relations and the use of controlled drugs, but that it happened with Ms Lawson’s consent.

But Mr Justice Eady found that Ms Lawson was falsely imprisoned "at the will" of Mr Dawes adding that he had no no difficulty in concluding that she was entitled to succeed on the issue of liability.

The award is believed to be one of the highest made by a UK court in a civil rape case.

Ms Lawson, of Fountain Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey, will also receive an interim payment of £200,000 to cover her legal costs.

Gary Slapper, professor of law at The Open University said: "The High Court is not an over-credulous forum given to awarding damages in inappropriate cases. Ms Lawson’s case is, therefore, a very deserving one and it is a credit to the legal system that someone who has suffered in the way she did does not have to move past the terrible events without an official denunciation"

Speaking outside court this morning she said: "I hope that my actions give other rape victims the courage to stand up to their attackers, no matter who they are or how long it takes."

During an earlier hearing Ms Lawson’s counsel, Michael Soole, QC, told the the court that his client met Mr Dawes on the understanding he would be interviewing her for a job but instead detained her against her will for three days.

Ms Lawson was represented by Jill Greenfield of Field Fisher Waterhouse.

To read Professor Gary Slapper's analysis click here.

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