Killer jailed for rape and attempted murder in Wellingborough

Sergiu Boianjiu thought his victim was dead and tried to hide her body in a wheelie bin, jurors were told

A convicted killer who came to Britain has been jailed for a minimum of 26 years for the rape and attempted murder of a stranger he left for dead in an alleyway.

Sergiu Boianjiu, 38, attacked the woman as she walked home in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, in February.

His trial heard he was jailed in 2009 for murdering his girlfriend in his home country of Moldova.

Judge David Herbert KC passed a life sentence at Northampton Crown Court.

Boianjiu, of Melton Road North in Wellingborough, was found guilty of both charges, but was found not guilty of a second charge of rape.

He had already admitted attempted rape.

The Moldovan national came to Britain after serving 10 years for murdering his partner in the former Soviet Union republic in 2002.

Police said that before Sergiu Boianjiu attacked his victim, he was ejected from a nightclub where he had been harassing women

He was caught on CCTV in Wellingborough as he raped and then repeatedly stamped on the head of his victim as she was defenceless on the ground.

Footage also showed Boianjiu, who thought he had killed his victim, leaving the scene to fetch a wheelie bin in which he tried to hide her body.

She was discovered by a passer-by after several hours lying in the rain and cold.

'Extraordinary danger to women'

The jury heard the woman was attacked as she walked home from a night out and was subjected to a 40-minute ordeal, suffering a life-threatening brain injury.

The judge told Boianjiu: "You repeatedly stamped on her head whilst she remained unconscious.

"It it clear from the evidence that after delivering a further six blows you believed you had successfully killed her."

The judge said Boianjiu was thinking clearly as he tried to cover up the offence by searching for evidence that might incriminate him.

"My assessment of you from all the evidence before me is that you are an extremely dangerous man," he said.

Det Ch Insp Liz Wilcox said: "This case has been very traumatic for the young woman... she has shown exceptional courage throughout our investigation and I hope that, with the help of her great support network, she will be able to continue to move forward.

"Sergiu Boianjiu presents an extraordinary danger to women."