A BRAVE woman fought back when, alone in the town centre in the early hours of the morning, a man rushed up to her, put his hand over her mouth and tried to rape her.
It was only after his victim managed to pull his hand away and scream for help that attacker Ionut Musca abandoned his attempt and fled.
After he was identified with the help of CCTV cameras in the area, Musca admitted sexually assaulting her but initially pleaded not guilty at Warwick Crown Court to attempted rape.
But within 11 days of that hearing, he changed his plea to guilty – and following an adjournment Musca, 20, of Rowland Street, Rugby, was jailed for five years.
Prosecutor Graeme Simpson said that on Saturday June 1 the victim, a young woman in her 20s, went drinking with friends in Rugby town centre.
In the early hours of the morning she headed to Corporation Street to get a taxi home.
On her way there at around 2.45am, she needed to go to the toilet, so went down stairs leading to a car park off Chapel Street where she relieved herself.
“As she was pulling her trousers back up, the defendant came running down the stairs.
“She initially thought nothing of it, but he ran straight up to her, barging into her and pushing her back, and put his hand over her mouth. She tried to scream, but was unable to do so because of his hand.
“He was pulling at her clothing, and his other hand was doing something to his own trousers, she though trying to undo them, and she thought he was going to rape her.
“She struggled to break free and managed to pull his hand away and screamed. She was screaming and pushing to try to get him away from her.
“It was a forceful struggle and, probably because of the screaming, he stopped and ran away,” said Mr Simpson.
The young woman ran up the stairs and told a passer-by she had been attacked before phoning her boyfriend to tell him what had happened.
She then got a taxi home, and when her boyfriend arrived the police were called – and officers managed to identify Musca as her attacker from CCTV footage in the area.
When he was arrested he admitted his attack was sexually motivated, but denied he had been trying to rape her.
His victim says she feels very anxious since the attack, and has had trouble sleeping and been having nightmares.
Amy Jackson, defending, said: “He is still a young man of 20, and has never been before a court before.
“Having made very significant admissions in interview, he entered a not guilty plea. But within 11 days he had seen his solicitors again and indicated a guilty plea.
“The pre-sentence report reflects the struggle he’s had coming to terms with his intent. He has no memory of trying to undo his trousers, but he accepts what she says.
“He expresses in the report, and asks that I express, his genuine remorse and regret. He knows it was an appalling act. He feels really terrible and regrets it deeply.”
Judge Andrew Lockhart QC commented: “He intended to rape her.”
Jailing Musca and ordering him to register as a sex offender for life, the judge told him through a Romanian interpreter: “You had been taking drink and drugs, and you were under the influence.
“You came running down to a dark place where she was completely alone. You had targeted her. I am satisfied you knew she was drunk and almost defenceless.
“You ran to her and put your hand straight over her mouth. She thought quite rightly that you were going to rape her, and bravely she fought back and managed to scream out. It was only then that you were brought to your senses.
“This was as close to a rape as it could have been. You had specifically targeted a vulnerable lone female at night.”
