Man jailed after 'chilling' attack against a stranger in Bridgwater
27-year-old Alin-Vasile Iercosan was sentenced for the serious sexual assault of a woman at Taunton Crown Court yesterday (April 21)
A man from Bridgwater has been put behind bars for his 'chilling' and 'predatory' assault of a woman in the town earlier this year.
Alin-Vasile Iercosan has been jailed for seven years and one month following the serious sexual assault of a woman who he didn't know.
The 27-year-old from Bath Road followed a 25-year-old woman who was walking home, before he dragged her off the street to carry out the attack in a parking area off Frairn Street in the town in the early hours of January 28 this year.
He has now been jailed after admitting raping a stranger, and faces an extended licence when he leaves prison, as well as a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the offence.
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. 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.
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.
"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."
Although rare, the vast majority 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, and sontinues to have access to support services such as counselling to help her recovery.
Victims of rape or sexual assault, recent or non-recent, can self-refer to The Bridge, a Sexual Assault Referral Centre available 24/7 365 days a year.
There are also details of charities and organisations with expertise in supporting victims here.
If you feel unsafe in a public place you can report it via the StreetSafe tool.