Aurel Birlan repeatedly assaulted his victim over the course of nearly two hours, which ended only when he was challenged by a passer-by.

The crimes were committed in the early hours of a December morning 2021, when Birlan was interrupted by the man who had met him and the victim in a public place. The man noticed she was undressed, not moving, and appeared to be injured. He interrogated Birlan about what had occurred before dialling 911 and waiting with both the offender and the victim until police arrived.

Birlan, 44, of Watts Street in Chatham, was apprehended on the spot. A rape investigation by the North Kent Phoenix team recovered CCTV evidence of her repeated pleas for him to stop, as well as evidence that she was unconscious for more than an hour during the assaults.

Birlan was charged with rape on two counts and sexual assault on three counts. He pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. He was sentenced to a minimum of eight years and three months in prison before being considered for parole. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and was the subject of a restraining order that barred him from contacting the victim.

Birlan subjected his victim to a prolonged and truly harrowing ordeal, only stopping when a passer-by bravely intervened,’ said the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Kendal Moore. The victim will hopefully be able to live a normal life now that this dangerous man is behind bars, thanks to today’s sentence. She has acted with great dignity and bravery throughout this investigation, and I applaud her for it.

‘I’d also like to thank the member of the public who confronted Birlan. His brave intervention was critical in ensuring Birlan was apprehended quickly and that the victim was also protected from further harm.’