A 'CALLOUS' rapist who attacked a woman when she was walking home late at night has been jailed.

Marian Tanasuca, 44, will serve at least six years and eight months behind bars after admitting to raping his victim three times during a sickening incident in Witham.

Chelmsford Crown Court was told the victim had been walking home from her friend's house on July 14 when the attack happened.

She was said to be aware of Tanasuca following her in Newland Street but was eventually approached by him 20 minutes later near the Eastways Indsutrial Estate.

The court heard the victim had offered Tanasuca help after he had pretended to fall over to get her attention.

After taking her hand, he then touched the woman's bottom and offered her money for sex.

He was said to have become angry after the woman refused and walked away from him.

He chased after her again before putting her into a headlock and pulling her by her head into a nearby ditch where he carried out his attack.

Tanasuca ran off after the incident but was arrested shortly after by police.

During interviews, he told detectives he had drunk eight pints of beer before the attack and had no recollection of it.

But he was eventually charged with three counts of rape and admitted to the offences when appearing in court in September.

Clacton and Frinton Gazette:

During sentencing on Wednesday, Stephen Rose, prosecuting, said the victim did not wish to have her impact statement read out in court but revealed she had left her job and moved away from Witham as a result of the attack.

Tanasuca, of no fixed address, was said to feel "deeply sorry" about the incident.

The court was told he had no previous convictions in the UK but has served 11 prison sentences in Romania and Germany for various offences.

Judge Jonathan Seely said he took Tanasuca's claim of remorse with "a pinch of salt".

He ordered the Romanian national to serve at least six years and eight months of a nine-year prison sentence, and said he would be out on licence for a further eight years after his release.

Tanasuca will also be required to pay a £190 victim surcharge.

Passing down his sentence, Judge Seely said: "As far as injuries are concerned that the victim sustained during this incident, they have been broadly described as multiple areas of scratching and bruising. But that description does not give justice to the seriousness of the injuries that you inflicted on her.

"The victim personal statement makes clear the very painful and deeply distressing nature of the after-effects of these injuries and reading the statement as a whole, there is talk of flashbacks and there is in summary, indication of ongoing significant psychological harm.

"Suffice to say so serious have those psychological effects been upon your victim that she has felt compelled to leave her job in the aftermath and furthermore your offending has caused her to move to not only a different part of this country, but a different nation in the UK."

Judge Seely also described Tanasuca's accusation the victim had stolen money from his wallet during the attack as "an untruthful, callous and extraordinarily insensitive thing to have asserted".

The allegation was withdrawn before sentencing.

Judge Seely added: "There is no doubt in my mind that you targeted a particularly vulnerable victim. You selected this young woman walking home late at night.

"Your previous convictions are furthermore an aggravating factor. Although you have no offences of sexual violence, you have previous serious convictions of violence.

"Plainly you committed the offences under your own account under the influence of alcohol."