Chilling moment serial rapist eyes up potential victims: Romanian who came to UK after Switzerland sex attack was allowed to pounce on a lone woman in a graveyard as his previous convictions were not flagged to authorities while he lived in garden shed
- Cosmin-Nicolae Vasioiu, 47, stalked and rape his victim in Exeter in June last year
A Romanian rapist who came to the UK after committing a sex attack in Switzerland was caught on CCTV eyeing up potential victims days before raping a woman on her way home from a night out.
Cosmin-Nicolae Vasioiu prowled the streets of Exeter in June last year looking for lone women to attack despite having previously been jailed in Europe for a near-identical rape of an 18-year-old in 2014.
The 47-year-old stalked his latest victim to St Bartholomew’s Cemetery in the city centre where he attacked her, stripped her naked and raped her.
Exeter Crown Court heard the woman tried to fight him of and screamed, which alerted residents living nearby to her plight and caused him to flee.
He later shaved off his beard and hair, and got a friend of wash his clothes and shoes in a bid to avoid detection, but has now been jailed for 18 years after being convicted of rape.
Cosmin-Nicolae Vasioiu (pictured) has been jailed for 18 years for raping a woman on her way home from a night out
The court heard that Vasioiu had come to the UK after finishing his sentence in Switzerland, and remained here after Brexit.
He did not come to the attention of the authorities because he did not apply for settled status, and was living in a garden shed and working as a gardener when he carried out the attack.
Felicity Payne, prosecuting, told the court the offence was planned and had been committed while Vasioiu was the subject of a community order for theft and assault.
‘The prosecution say, and put their case in this way during the trial, that he was trawling the city centre seeking to identify targets for sexual assault,’ she said.
‘He did just that when he identified the victim. At that point in time, she was significantly worse for wear due to intoxication.
‘He was captured on CCTV following the victim and altering his course, crossing the road, and his pace is seen to quicken as he follows her.
‘The victim made efforts to fight the defendant but was unable to resist. She ultimately began to scream for help and the defendant ran off.
‘When she was located she was naked and her clothing strewn about the cemetery.’
The defendant, of Topsham Road, Exeter, had denied rape but was convicted by a jury following a trial after DNA evidence linked him to the victim.
Pushpanjali Gohil, defending, said: ‘There is little mitigation I can advance given the offence was denied.’
Recorder Malcolm Galloway ruled Vasioiu posed a danger to women due to the risk of further offending and imposed an extended sentence.
Vasioiu was jailed for 18 years with an extended period of five years on licence and will have to serve at least 12 years’ imprisonment before he can apply for parole.
The 47-year-old was seen prowling the streets of Exeter (pictured) in June last year looking for lone women
On the night of the rape, the Romanian was seen stalking a woman after she had left her friends
‘The CCTV from the city centre that the police were able to obtain after the rape is clear and chilling,’ the judge said.
‘You were patrolling Exeter city centre looking for lone vulnerable women. The CCTV shows you stopping outside late-night drinking establishments and observing from doorways.
‘I have no doubt you were waiting for an opportunity to present itself. ‘It is plain from the available CCTV that anyone observing your victim as you did would immediately be aware that she was heavily under the influence of alcohol and vulnerable.
‘The attack and its aftermath have had a profound and prolonged effect upon her, and she is still living with what happened to her that night.’
The judge said Vasioiu did not regret the offence and saw himself as the victim.
‘I agree with the comment of the probation service that your misogyny and sexual preoccupation and your distorted view of consent are all likely to lead to you reoffending,’ he said.
‘I have no doubt that you continue and will continue for the foreseeable future to pose a significant risk of further sexual offences.’
Vasioiu was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.
Detective Sergeant Samantha Wenham, from Devon and Cornwall police Major Crime Investigation Team, said: ‘I welcome today’s sentence after Cosmin-Nicolae Vasioiu was found guilty of rape following a trial in May.
‘He preyed on a lone female who he had never met and subjected her to a vicious attack without remorse.
He was seen running to catch up with her as she made her way home through the city centre
He would later pounce in St Bartholomew’s Cemetery where he stripped the victim naked and raped her
‘He then returned to where he was staying and proceeded to bag up his clothes which he gave to an unwitting friend to wash, before shaving off his long hair in an attempt to change his appearance and destroy evidence linking him to the attack.
‘This was a calculated and planned act in which Vasioiu has shown absolutely no remorse throughout.’
DS Wenham continued: ‘The response from the public to our appeals was vital in us securing the CCTV footage that was key in us being able to identify and arrest Vasioiu.
‘The investigative team went above and beyond to gain the evidence needed to prove beyond any doubt that Vasioiu was the attacker.
‘This included numerous international enquiries which led to the team discovering that Vasioiu had a prior conviction in Switzerland that matched up with the attack that took place in Exeter; both in how they were carried out and Vasioiu’s actions post-attack.
‘This allowed us to take the rare step of being able to share Vasioiu’s previous bad character and offending history with the jury during the trial, which was vital in securing the conviction.’
It is expected that Vasioiu will serve his sentence in the UK before being deported to Romania.
DS Wenham added: ‘My team and I want to take a moment to recognise the victim in this case.
‘She has been through an horrific ordeal that no person should be subjected to and showed great courage and strength throughout the investigation and criminal justice process.
‘She put her faith in us and I hope today’s result will help her to move on and contribute to her recovery from this ordeal.’
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