Man convicted following rape in Warrington

A man has pleaded guilty following the rape of a woman at her home in Warrington.

Petrus-Ionut Apostoae, of Gorsey Lane, Warrington, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today, Wednesday 4 January, and pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, one count of burglary, three counts of attempted burglary and one count of attempting to trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence.

The 25-year-old will now be remanded into custody to next appear at Liverpool Crown Court for sentencing on Friday 27 January.

The two counts of rape and one count of burglary relate to an incident which took place at 5am on Sunday 2 October when Apostoae entered an address on Orford Lane.

He first stole a number of items which he left outside the address. He then went back into the property and raped the victim as she slept.

Detective Inspector Nigel Parr, who led the investigation at Cheshire Constabulary’s Major Investigation Team, said “Apostoae is a dangerous and predatory criminal who subjected his victim to a truly horrific ordeal.

“He invaded the victim’s home, a place where everyone should feel safe, and committed a heinous sexual assault.

“Thankfully, as a result of the investigation and the amount of evidence gathered, Apostoae had no other option but to plead guilty meaning that the victim has been spared the trauma of having to relive what happened on that night.

“I would like to thank the victim for the strength and bravery she has shown throughout the investigation and hope that this will, in some way, help her rebuild her life.”

If you have been a victim of sexual abuse, or know of someone who has, please contact Cheshire Police on 101, via the website or Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.