Sex gang accused's DNA on girl pants 'by mistake'

The accused met some of their alleged victims in Gateshead's Saltwell Park, a court has heard

This article contains details some people may find distressing.

A man accused of being part of a grooming gang told jurors his DNA was on a 13-year-old girl's clothes because he pleasured himself by "mistake" while others had sex with her in a park.

Stefan Ciuraru was 16 when he allegedly committed sexual offences against five girls in Gateshead, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The 22-year-old is one of six men who deny offences against six girls, aged between 13 and 16, in Gateshead between 2015 and 2019.

Speaking in court through a Romanian interpreter, Mr Ciuraru said he now felt "bad" about watching as two males had sex with a girl behind a hut in Saltwell Park.

When asked why his DNA was found on the girl's underwear and top, Mr Ciuraru said he had performed a sex act upon himself as he watched and ejaculated by "error".

He said he was a child himself, and told jurors: "I did not touch her, I did not speak to her."

'Can't speak English'

When asked by his barrister Christopher Knox how he felt about it now, Mr Ciuraru replied: "Bad, I feel bad."

He admitted lying to police when he told officers he could not explain how his DNA was there, but told jurors he was "scared".

During cross-examination by prosecutor Anne Richardson, he said he did not know the girl or how old she was and his actions were a "mistake".

Ms Richardson said another girl claimed to have seen Mr Ciuraru "in the bushes" with the first girl, but Mr Ciurary replied: "That was not me."

The second girl said he then grabbed her by the wrist and told her to perform a sex act upon him.

Mr Ciuraru told jurors it was "not true" because he could not speak English, so how could he make such a demand.

'Accusations not true'

Jurors previously heard from two of his teachers who said he could have a conversation in English, but Mr Ciuraru, who moved to the UK in 2017, said he just knew how to say "good morning" and "how are you".

He also denied offences against other girls, saying the accusations were "not true".

He said he had not attended school in Romania and did not know how to read or write.

He also said once at school in Gateshead he copied from another Romanian pupil and then went to work at a car wash.

Mr Ciuraru was the fifth defendant to give evidence, with a sixth, Bogdan Gugiuman, having declined to take to the witness box.

Their co-accused Codrin Dura and Leonard Paun denied being part of a sex gang, as did fellow Romanian Ionut Mihai and Albanian national Klaudio Aleksiu.

They all said they just went to the park to play football with their friends.

The defendants are all from Gateshead and the allegations against them are:

• Codrin Dura, 27, in relation to two girls, denies eight counts of rape, three counts of sexual activity with a child, attempted rape, sexual assault, blackmail, arranging the commission of a child sex offence and supplying a Class A drug

• Leonard Paun, 23, in relation to two girls, denies five counts of rape, sexual activity with a child, two counts of arranging the commission of a child sex offence, supplying Class A drugs, sexual assault and distributing indecent photographs of a child

• Ionut Mihai, 28, denies three counts of rape in relation to one girl

• Bogdan Gugiuman, 44, denies four counts of rape and one of supplying a Class A drug in relation to one girl

• Klaudio Aleksiu, 28, denies two counts of rape and supplying a Class A drug in relation to one girl

• Stefan Ciuraru, 22, in relation to five girls, denies four counts of sexual assault, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and sexual activity with a child

The trial continues.