A convicted rapist launched two separate attacks on a teenage girl and a woman as they walked home at night in Gillingham.

Sergiu Varga left the terrified 16-year-old needing specialist surgery for a fractured jaw.

The 24-year-old Romanian was on bail for a burglary in Bearsted when he attacked his two victims in the same area of Gillingham on the same night.

Unemployed Varga, who can barely speak a word of English, has now been jailed for six-and-a-half years.

Judge Martin Joy told Varga, of Greenview Walk, Gillingham, that he posed a significant risk.

At an earlier hearing Varga had admitted false imprisonment, inflicting grievous harm and assault causing actual harm.

This week he further admitted the Bearsted burglary which happened between October 1-5.

Ian Foinette, prosecuting, said Varga was a stranger to both his victims and there was no obvious background to his attacks.

“He has a conviction in Romania for rape and that case bears some similarities to these attacks,” Mr Foinette said.

The 16-year-old was walking home about 10pm on October 11 and, while in Trinity Road, noticed a man come out of an alley.

She crossed the road to avoid him and he crossed too so she took out her mobile phone to ring her mother, Mr Foinette said.

She couldn’t get through but pretended to talk to someone and quickened her pace but was tripped up from behind by Varga and landed on the floor.

“He pulled her up by her left arm and hair and started dragging her to an alleyway but to her good fortune a man and a dog appeared in the street,” Mr Foinette said.

The man, Michael Mayo, heard the girl screaming and went to her aid, putting himself between her and Varga, who ran off.

She fractured her jaw in the attack and had to undergo surgery at a specialist unit at East Grinstead hospital.

Mr Foinette said the second attack happened soon after the first in Richmond Road when a woman of 25 was asked the time by Varga.

She told him and carried on walking. Realising she was being followed, she crossed the road and then felt an arm come round her neck and she was pulled down on the ground. Her rucksack broke her fall.

She started screaming and a passing motorist, Tony Tremlin, reversed and stopped and rang the police. Varga ran off.

He was caught by police who said he was aggressive and abusive. Both victims identified Varga.

Mr Foinette said Varga had a previous conviction in Romania for rape and for two robberies, one with a gun.

Since he had been in the UK he had been convicted of sexual assault, burglary and theft.

Charlotte Hole, defending, said there was no sexual motive for the attacks.

“He used alcohol and cannabis on the night and is in the habit of doing so,” she said.

“He regrets everything which happened which was a result of drinking, anger and stress. It was a way of lashing out rather than sexual offences.

“He comes from a Roma background and attitudes to sex are different.”

“Varga is clearly a very dangerous man, someone who attacked and preyed on two young females late at night" - DC Gary Seamark

In a statement the teenager said the attack still caused her pain in her jaw and she rarely went out, while the woman said she couldn’t sleep for weeks and no longer goes out on her own after dark.

Judge Joy commended Mr Mayo and Mr Tremlin for their actions.

On release Varga will be on licence for three-and-a-half years.

Detective Constable Gary Seamark said: “Varga is clearly a very dangerous man, someone who attacked and preyed on two young females late at night.

"Thankfully, the courts have delivered a significant sentence and one which ensures he is now off the streets and no longer a threat.

"We will continue do everything we can to bring offenders such as Varga to justice.”

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