Three men jailed for rape and false imprisonment of woman in Leigh

44 year woman was homeless, and was promised a 'warm drink' before being attacked

Author: Louisa KingPublished 1st Feb 2022

Three men were sentenced for a combined total of 36 years today (1 February 2022) for the rape and false imprisonment of a 44-year-old woman.

The following men were each found guilty at a trial in January of two counts of rape and false imprisonment:

• Adrian Voicu (DOB 25/05/1990), of Siddow Common, Leigh, sentenced to 13 years in prison.

• Sandokan Pachiu (DOB 26/11/1981), of Chapel Street, Leigh, sentenced to 11.5 years in prison.

• Constantin Dumitru (DOB 09/09/1997), of no fixed abode, sentenced to 11.5 years in prison.

The court heard how in June 2021 the victim was alone outside a homeless shelter in Leigh when she was approached on the street by Adrian Voicu.

Voicu had been walking along the street with the group of men, who entered a nearby property on the opposite side of the road. Voicu remained outside and urged the victim to join him for a warm drink.

After persisting with the request, and under the pretence that she'd be offered a warm drink and some food, the victim agreed and entered the property.

Once entering the address, the door was locked behind her where she was forcibly told to go upstairs to the top floor flat.

When inside the flat, the victim was greeted by a number of other men.

The men proceeded to hold her against her will and took turns to subject her to oral rape. The ordeal lasted for approximately 11 hours.

The woman was eventually able to leave and the incident was reported to police.

The offenders were arrested and remanded in custody within 48 hours of the incident taking place.

Detective Sergeant Eleanor Campbell, of GMP's Wigan district, said: "The victim was abused in one of the worst ways. These men preyed on her vulnerability to lure her into the address.

"This was a sickening and horrific ordeal that will no doubt leave a damaging and haunting impact on the victim.

"I'd like to thank her for her unwavering cooperation in this investigation and I hope this helps bring some form of closure after such a lengthy ordeal.

"And I hope this sentencing sends a clear message that sexual assault is absolutely not acceptable and anyone who engages in this criminal behaviour will be brought to justice to face the consequences for their actions."

Greater Manchester is nationally recognised as a model of good practice in terms of support services available to victims.

If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted, we encourage you not to suffer in silence and report it to the police, or a support agency so you can get the help and support available.