A man who carried out “copycat offences” three years apart against two women who he falsely imprisoned and sexually abused has been jailed for 17 and a half years.
Ioan Lingurar (35) raped the first victim after she woke up in his car. The woman tried to get out, but the car was locked, and she only managed to escape some time after the attack.
The Central Criminal Court heard that three years later, Lingurar sexually assaulted another woman in a car. This woman managed to escape after grabbing the wheel and punching him.
The court heard that Lingurar was arrested after DNA was taken after both incidents was matched with a pre-existing DNA profile in Austria that identified him as the attacker.
Following a trial in October 2021, Lingurar was convicted by a jury of rape and false imprisonment of a woman at or near Old Bawn Road, Tallaght, Dublin, on February 14th, 2016. He had denied the charges.
Linguarar, with an address at Clarinda Park East, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to the sexual assault and false imprisonment of a second woman at locations within Co Dublin on February 24th, 2019.
He has five previous convictions, including a conviction for sexual assault in France in 2011. He also has convictions in Ireland for attempted theft and road traffic offences.
'Unsettling'
Passing sentence on Monday, Ms Justice Tara Burns said these were “chilling and unsettling cases” in which “copycat offences” were committed against two women of similar age and appearance, after he picked them up in a similar area at a similar time of year.
Justice Burns said the fact that neither victim can remember several hours of the night of the offences is “particularly troubling”. She said while both had consumed alcohol, this was not given as an explanation.
The judge said the offences were aggravated by the serious nature of the offending, the circumstances of both victims being locked in a car with their phones taken from them and the length of time they were both detained.
She said the offences were further aggravated by the women being “preyed on” when they were by themselves late at night and Lingurar having a previous conviction for sexual assault.
She said in light of the fact that the offences were committed three years apart against two different women, consecutive sentences were appropriate.
Justice Burns sentenced Lingurar to ten years imprisonment and seven-a-and-half years imprisonment respectively for the offences in 2016 and 2019. She ordered that these sentences run consecutively for an effective operative sentence of 17-and-a-half years imprisonment.
The judge commented that as both victims are completely unrelated to Lingurar, his identification will have no consequences for their anonymity.
'Pain and heartache'
In her victim impact statement, which was read out in court, the victim of the offences in 2016 said that while the physical injuries did not have a long-standing effect, the psychological effects “will last a lifetime”.
The woman said it was impossible to put into words “the pain and heartache” of having your “freedom and dignity stripped away”. She said after the offences she was scared of strangers and terrified to come into contact with family and friends.
She said she felt as though she was “ostracised” by her rapist's actions. She said she wanted to make sure any other woman who would have been affected by him is not.
In her victim impact statement, which she read out in court, the victim of the offences in 2019 said that on the outside it might seem like she is coping, but that is “a front” and she is masking how she feels.
The woman said she is “still living this nightmare” that she cannot wake up from. She said it was something she thinks she will never forget, and she just has to live with that.
She said it does not matter how many showers she has, she still feels dirty. She said she will keep going and “never let him win” because her child needs her.
