...By Henry George for TDPel Media.
Bogdan Ungureanu, 41, has been convicted of attempted rape, robbery, and fraud and is facing jail time.
He attacked a woman in Watling Park, Edgware, in August 2021, leaving her with cuts, bruises, and a black eye.
He stole her purse, handbag, keys, and diamond ring and used her money to buy alcohol, cigarettes, and lottery tickets.
The victim was left traumatised and struggling to leave the house.
Ungureanu was captured on CCTV, carrying a shopping bag with a tassel from the victim’s purse hanging out of the side, and was recognised by a PCSO.
He was arrested in the Stratford area in east London, and forensic testing linked him to the victim’s tights.
Ungureanu was found guilty of attempted rape and sentenced at Kingston Crown Court. He was acquitted of a charge of rape.
Detective Constable Arvind Gogna, from the Met’s rape and serious sexual offences team, commended the victim’s courage in supporting the investigation and giving evidence at the trial.
He hoped that the case would encourage other victims of serious sexual offences to come forward and speak to the police.
Members of the public found the woman shouting for help in Watling Park after the attack.
She had been physically and sexually assaulted and was unconscious.
The police statement said, “She also had bruising and cuts across her body, as well as a black eye.”
The victim’s traumatising experience is an example of how brutal muggings can be and how they can affect individuals physically and emotionally.
Ungureanu’s case came to trial 20 months after he was first charged, and he is due to be sentenced on July 27.
