28/06/2024
Two men who kidnapped and sexually assaulted a woman in Stoke-on-Trent have been found guilty following a trial in court.
Iulian Lupu, 56, and Romeo-Kristian Macovei, 31, both of Liverpool Road, Kidsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent, ST7 1, have been standing trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court since 10 June after they were charged with the offences back in December last year.
- Lupu was convicted of two counts of sexual assault, one count of kidnap and one count of committing an offence with the intention of committing a relevant sexual offence. He has now been jailed for 16 years, with an additional two years on license.
- Macovei was convicted of the rape of a woman and kidnap. He was sentenced to 18 years.
The survivor left a nightclub in Newcastle-under-Lyme in the early hours of 10 December 2023 when Lupu and Macovei approached her in the street.
The next thing she remembered was waking up in an unknown address in Stoke-on-Trent. Lupu and Macovei were both inside, and one of them was naked.
She made her way home and reported the incident to us.
Officers worked tirelessly to investigate what happened, support the survivor and identify the suspects. After trawling through CCTV and speaking to witnesses in the area, our enquiries identified Lupu and Macovei, who were arrested a few days later and questioned in custody.
The evidence was sufficient enough for both suspects being charged with a number of offences.
On Wednesday (26 June), Lupu and Macovei were found guilty of the offences at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.
Lupu was convicted of two counts of sexual assault, one count of kidnap and one count of committing an offence with the intention of committing a relevant sexual offence.
Macovei was convicted of the rape of a woman and kidnap.
Both of them will be sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on 12 September.
Detective Constable Tiffany Berry, who works in our Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team (RASSO), dealt with the case. She said: “This was particularly traumatising incident for the survivor who has shown immeasurable bravery in coming forward and telling us about what happened.
“Without her strength and support throughout this investigation, this conviction would not have been possible.
“I’d also like to recognise the robust work that our specialist officers did to investigate this crime and bring two dangerous sex offenders to justice. Lupu and Macovei were quickly identified, and, despite their denial, we recovered enough evidence to remand them and put them before a jury.”
If you’ve been a victim of sexual assault, call us on 101 or message us using Live Chat on our website when you feel ready to do so.