ROMANIAN RAPIST SENTENCED AFTER NIGHTTIME ATTACKS IN GILLINGHAM
A convicted rapist has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison after launching two separate nighttime attacks on a teenage girl and a woman in Gillingham.Sergiu Varga, a 24-year-old Romanian man who could barely speak English, was found to have committed the assaults while on bail for burglary in Bearsted.
During one incident, the 16-year-old girl was walking home around 10 pm when Varga emerged from an alley, tripped her from behind, and attempted to drag her into an alleyway.
The girl sustained a fractured jaw and required specialist surgery.
Her attacker ran off upon being seen by a witness, Michael Mayo, who intervened.
The second attack involved a 25-year-old woman who Varga approached asking the time, then followed and attempted to pull her to the ground when she realized she was being followed.
Both victims identified Varga to the police after he was caught by officers, who described him as aggressive and abusive during arrest.
Varga, who has a past conviction in Romania for rape and robberies, pled guilty to multiple charges, including assault, false imprisonment, and grievous bodily harm, and received a prison sentence of six and a half years.
The court also noted that upon release, Varga will be on licence for three and a half years.
Detective Constable Gary Seamark commented on the case, stating, ‘Varga is clearly a very dangerous man, someone who attacked and preyed on two young females late at night,’ and expressed confidence that the sentence ensures he is off the streets and no longer a threat.
