Pair who raped woman in Cambridge sold car hours after attacking her

Two rapists who attacked a woman in a car then tried to hide the evidence by selling the vehicle just hours later.

Florin Sardaru, 25, and a 17-year-old who cannot be named because of his age, spotted the woman as she walked home in Cambridge city centre on 13 February.

They had driven up from London and in the early hours of that morning saw their victim walking alone in Sidney Street.

After leading her into their car, they drove to a secluded location where they each raped her, before driving her back into the city.

When the woman contacted police, an investigation was launched.

Police found CCTV showing the predatory movements of the suspects prior to the offence and the moment where she was taken to the car and driven away.

The car was traced to an address in London where it had been sold within hours of the offence. The vehicle was seized, and forensic evidence was recovered which linked the pair to their crimes.

They were arrested on 4 March and gave "no comment" interviews.

They had initially pleaded not guilty but changed their pleas on the first day of their trial at Cambridge Crown Court in September.

On Friday, Sardaru, of Shrubland Road in Hackney in London was sentenced to 12 years and four months in prison, and the 17-year-old was jailed for seven years and 11 months.

Both have been placed on the sex offenders register, handed sexual harm prevention orders and indefinite restraining orders against the victim.

Det Insp Helen Tebbit said: "I would like to commend the survivor of this horrific case for her courage and support during the police investigation. 

"The level of offending in this case is amongst the most serious imaginable and the [rape investigation team] were committed to quickly identifying and prosecuting those involved.

“The two defendants displayed significant predatory behaviour whilst within Cambridge City centre before locating the victim. The victim was vulnerable at the time of the offence and this vulnerability has been exploited by them."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know