STALKER FIEND
Chilling footage shows rapist run after woman as he stalks her on pavement moments before sex attack
CHILLING footage shows a rapist run after a woman as he stalked her down the pavement moments before attacking her.
Alin-Vasile Iercosan, 27, from Bridgwater in Somerset, followed the woman, 25, as she walked home before dragging her off the street to carry out the sex attack in a parking lot.
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His victim spoke out in a powerful personal statement in court as her rapist was jailed.
The woman "begged" the sentence to bring her closure as Iercosan was sentenced to seven years and one month in prison.
The rapist was jailed at Taunton Crown Court on Friday and faces an extended licence as well as a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
In a personal statement to the court, the woman said: "I am here today to try and regain some control after you stole it all from me.
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"I’m begging that today will bring me a tiny amount of closure. You will only get so many years in prison but… no amount of time you get today will ever justify what you did to me.”
DI Hadley Rides, of Operation Soteria Bluestone, the specialist team tackling rape and serious sexual assault, oversaw the investigation.
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He said: “The CCTV we obtained during our investigation chillingly shows the predatory behaviour of Iercosan.
"He waited on the streets of Bridgwater and deliberately followed and attacked a lone woman."
DI Rides added: “Iercosan admitted his crime at an early stage in the court proceedings due to the overwhelming evidence against him.
"I’d like to acknowledge the joint effort of detectives in my team, working with the neighbourhood policing team, which led to an early identification of the defendant.
“However, this man would not now be off our streets had it not been for the strength and determination of this young woman and her continued support of our investigation.
"She stood up in court today and faced the man who attacked her.
"She has shown herself to be much stronger than Iercosan, who fled the country after the attack to try to evade justice."
According to Avon and Somerset Police, incidents of rape by a stranger, like this case, are extremely rare and, tragically, more cases of rape and serious sexual assault offences are committed by someone known to the victim.
An Independent Sexual Violence Advisor has supported the woman throughout the investigation and court process.
She continues to have access to support services such as counselling to help her recovery.
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