Stoke-on-Trent men sentenced for kidnapping woman on night out
It happened in December 2023
Two men who kidnapped and sexually assaulted a woman in Stoke-on-Trent have been sentenced to a total of 34 years in prison.
Iulian Lupu, 57, and Romeo-Kristian Macovei, 32, both from Stoke-on-Trent, were found guilty of the attack following a trial last year.
The woman 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 the police.
Lupu and Macovei were arrested a few days later and questioned in custody.
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.
Detective Constable Tiffany Berry dealt with the case. She said: “This incident has been incredibly traumatising for the survivor who has continued to show immense courage throughout the investigation.
“Despite Lupu and Macovei denying their crimes, our detectives were able to gather all of the evidence needed to put them before the courts. It is because of this evidence and the bravery of the survivor which now means that both of them have been brought to justice.
“We’re committed to supporting survivors of sexual offences as much as possible and taking robust action against offenders in Staffordshire.”
If you are 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.